
Class, T W 4 ,5X1 

Book lLJsL 

Copyright^ . 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 




THEODORE and MINNIE E. LUDWIG 



Living for Jesus 



By 

Minnie E. Ludwig 



Pentecostal Nazarene Publishing House 
Kansas City, Missouri 



^K 



Copyright, 1916, 
Pentecostal Nazarene Publishing House, 



JUN 10 1916 



©CI.A431468 



Contents 

Preface 5 

Poem, "A Plea for the Children"___ 8 

CHAPTER PAGE 

I. Jesus Loves the Children 9 

II. Jesus Calls the Children Early 16 

III. What Must I Do to Be Saved? 20 

IV. At What Age May Children Be Converted? 29 
V. Children May Be Certain of Sins Forgiven 34 

VI. Conversion the Beginning of True Happi- 
ness and a Uuseful Life 38 

VII. S'anctification 46 

VIII. Suffering for Jesus 55 

IX. How Children May Lead Sinners to Christ 59 

X. Jesus Answers Prayer 64 

XL How to Eesist Temptation 70 

XII. God's Eyes Are Ever on Us 74 

XIII. How Children May Show Their Love to 

Parents 76 

XIV. Things to Be Thankful For 82 

XV. Evil Habits 87 

XVI. Danger of Neglecting Salvation 95 

XVII. Christians Die Happy 103 



Preface 

In my work as Sunday school teacher, Junior League 
president, city missionary, evangelist, and as pastor's 
wife, I have, with a glad heart, observed that great good 
is accomplished in work among children. Unbiased by 
prejudice, their hearts are open to receive the story of 
the cross. 

After careful observation, I have noticed that the ma- 
jority of people who come to our altars to seek the Lord 
after middle life, are those who have in childhood or 
youth been converted. 

The Lord has put a great love for children in my heart, 
and after much waiting on Him in prayer for guidance, 
I am sending forth this little volume in the Savior's name, 
and pray that all who read it may be brought to love 
Him more, and that those who are not saved, may while 
reading these pages, give their hearts to Him who said, 
"Let the children come unto me." 

I do not remember that any one spoke definitely to me 
about giving my heart to the Lord, or reading any book 
that would even indicate that children may be converted, 
until I was sixteen years of age. Had this not been neg- 
lected, I firmly believe, I would have been converted in 
my early childhood. 

The recollection of the longing for peace with God in 
my heart, when a child, and as I find the same in young 
hearts, in my work with them today, is what impels me 
to write this little book. My only object is to lead the 
young reader to the One who guarded my footsteps in 
childhood, and has been nearer and dearer to me than anv 



earthly friend ever since, in youth, I gave my heart to 
Him. 

Children, as a rule, desire to hear or read stories; thus 
I have tried to impress the truth on young hearts by 
relating the experiences of children and young people. 
Most of the incidents related have come under my own 
observation, or were experienced by people of my ac- 
quaintance. 

Whatever financial remuneration is received from the 
sale of this book will be given to missions preaching full 
salvation in foreign fields. The time I have spent in 
writing it, has been a blessing to me and a labor of love 
for souls. 

My earnest desire and prayer to God is that all who 
read may come to know the saving and sanctifying 
power of our Lord. 

Minnie E. Ludwig. 

May, 1915. 



LIVING FOR JESUS 



^IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIH 



H Plea for the Children 



I "'T was only a child that was rescued j 

| From the bondage of Satan and sin, j 

| Only a child started heavenward | 

| The new life in Christ to begin; | 

| But his long years of service for Jesus, | 

| And a life pure and undenled, | 

| Proclaimed in the sweetest of accents, j 

| The joy of saving a child. | 

"It was only a child, but, neglected, | 

| She sipped at the winecup of sin, | 

| Only a child started downward, | 

| Her life stained with sin to begin; j 

| But through long weary years of transgression, | 

| By sin's dark enchantment beguiled, j 

| Her life was a witness most solemn | 

| To the wrong of neglecting a child. j 

"To those who are teaching the gospel, | 

| With love in their hearts for the truth, j 

| Comes the gentle reminder from heaven, | 

'Forget not the children and youth/ | 

Though the lives of the sheep are all precious, j 

| Christ loves, too, the lambs of His fold. | 

| While we're seeking the sheep then to shelter, j 

| Let us not forget the lambs in the cold." j 

lllllllllllllllllllllilllllllll!llllllllll]|||!ll!llllllllll!lllllll!lllllllllllllillll!IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIH 



Living for Jesus 

CHAPTER I 

JESUS LOVES THE CHILDREN 

I THINK the best way to impress my young readers 
that Jesus loves them, is, to let them look at the cross., 
there to see what Jesus suffered to redeem them. 

God created Adam and Eve and placed them in the 
garden of Eden; a beautiful place which He had prepared 
for them. Everything was lovely. They had all things 
they needed for their enjoyment, and all that was good to 
eat ; only the fruit of one of the trees God said they should 
not eat; and if they did, death would be the result. This 
was to prove whether or not they would be obedient. 

God was very much interested in these first two people. 
He wanted them to be good and happy, therefore, He not 
only, supplied their needs, but gave them many things 
simply for their enjoyment. 

Not only was God interested in Adam and Eve, but 
Satan, or the Devil, also took notice of them. Satan 
hated God, and because he knew God loved Adam and 
Eve he planned their fall. 

Satan came to the garden and saw how happy they 
were with all the good and beautiful things around them. 
He sought to have a conversation with them, and one day 
he told them that the fruit which God had forbidden them 
to eat would not cause them to die, but that it would make 
them wise. Afer Eve talked to Satan for awhile, ahe 

9 



10 LIVING FOR JESUS 

took of the fruit, ate it, and gave Adam also; and so 
they committed the first sin. 

The Heavenly Father's heart was saddened, and I 
think the angels wept, because disobeying God, would not 
only, in time, cause death of the body; but what wa3 
much worse, it would cause them to die spiritually, which 
means separation from God. 

The Lord now had to tell Adam and Eve that they 
must leave the garden, and go out and work hard to make 
a living. Then the Lord gave them children, who, when 
they grew up, also committed sin, because of the evil 
they had inherited from their parents. 

Adam and Eve were now separated from God, that is, 
sin had come between them and God. God is holy and 
could not come and talk to them as He had done when 
their hearts were pure; and now sin began to weigh like 
a heavy burden on their hearts. 

God from the beginning looked into the future, and 
knew just what sin would do for Adam and Eve and all 
the people who were to come. So He made a plan. The 
Father consulted with the Son and the Holy Spirit, tell- 
ing them how all the human race, because of sin, must 
die and be turned into eternal darkness, unless one could 
be found who would take their place and die for them. 

This must have been a sad hour, even among the 
angels in heaven. No one could be found who was worthy 
to take this place, until Jesus, God's only Son, said. 
"Father, I offer myself as a sacrifice for the sin of the 
people. I will leave my beautiful home in glory, and my 
place at Thy right hand, and will go and die for them. 
I will go and be as one of them. I will become poor that 
they may be rich; and I will become a little child so 
that even the children may know I came to save them. 
I will go, Father." 



JESUS LOVES THE CHILDREN 11 

The Heavenly Father loved His Son very much, and 
how it must have pierced His heart to give Him to die 
on the cross; but He said, "My Son, you are worthy, and 
you may go. I love the people so that I will give you as 
a sacrifice. If you will die for them, then, for your sake, 
I will forgive all their sins, and again make them happy," 
Then I think the angels began to sing and there was great 
joy in heaven. 

After the fall the Lord quickly brought the good news 
to poor Adam and Eve that One was found who would 
pay the debt for all sin; and all who would turn from 
their sins and believe on Him should be saved. 

Many, many years passed, and there were now a 
great number of people in the world, some of them were 
praying earnestly and looking forward to the time when 
the promise would be fulfilled, and the Savior would come. 

One day, as the shepherds were out in the field, watch- 
ing their flocks, suddenly an angel appeared; and as they 
were somewhat frightened, the angel said, "Fear not, for 
behold I bring you glad tidings of great joy, which shall 
be to all people. For unto you is born, this day, a Sav- 
iour which is Christ the Lord. And you shall find the 
babe lying in a manger." Then suddenly there was 
with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising 
God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on 
earth peace, good will toward men." 

The shepherds said, "Let us go now to Bethlehem 
and see this Saviour." They left their flocks, went to the 
liittle town, and there found the Babe in a manger. 
There were many nice beds and cradles in Bethlehem, but 
they were all taken by others, and Jesus was born in a 
stable, and the manger was His cradle, but He was very 
happy, and His mother was glad and rejoiced, and took 
good care of Him; for the angels had whispered to her 



12 LIVING FOR JESUS 

some time before that her baby would be the Savior of 
the world; and told her to call His name Jesus, which 
means Savior. 

He grew up, a good boy, helping His father and mother, 
and was so good and kind He never committed even one 
sin. 

When He got older and became a young man, He 
helped His father in the carpenter shop, for His parents 
were poor. 

At thirty years of age He began to preach, and tell 
the people that He had come to this world to die for them, 
and to redeem them from sin. 

He went about doing good, healing the sick and the 
suffering. A certain man had suffered for thirty-eight 
years, and a woman for twelve years. The doctors could 
not help them, but Jesus, in His great love, touched them 
and made them whole. Some were afflicted with that 
dreaded disease, leprosy. No physician had ever been 
found who could cure it, but the divine touch of the 
Savior healed them when there was no hope for them 
ever to get well. 

He also found people who were not able to walk, but 
were lame. When Jesus spoke the word they began to 
leap and shout and praise God. One man was born blind 
and had never seen the sun or this beautiful world; 
had never even seen his own mother and father, but when 
Jesus met him He opened the blinded eyes. How thank- 
ful this man must have been. 

One day He met a funeral procession. A poor widow 
was on her way to the graveyard to bury her only son. 
When Jesus saw the great sorrow of the mother, He 
touched the casket and the boy was brought back to life, 
to the great joy of the mother, and they went home happy. 

Jesus brought joy to many hearts because of healing 



JESUS LOVES THE CHILDREN 13 

their bodies, yet this was not His greatest mission to this 
world; but best of all, He could help those who were soul- 
sick and burdened down with sin. He never turned one 
away, regardless of how sinful they were, but always for- 
gave them when they truly repented. The Bible tells us 
of one woman who was very, very sinful, but when she 
confessed it the Lord freely forgave her all, and rolled tie 
heavy burden of sin from her weary heart. 

Now, we would think, that every body surely loved 
such a Savior; but they did not. Many were not willing 
to turn from sin, and their hearts were so wicked they 
did not love Him, but began to plan how they might kill 
Him. 

One night, the last night of His life, He was alone 
in prayer in the garden of Gethsemane. He knew they 
would soon take Him and kill Him. The burden of the 
sin of the world was so heavy on His heart that He 
agonized in prayer until the sweat was on His brow as 
great drops of blood; but the angels came and strength- 
ened Him. 

Then, all of a sudden, the soldiers came to arrest Him, 
and what makes it so sad, was, that Judas,, who had been 
one of the twelve disciples, was with them, and for thirty 
pieces of silver betrayed his Master. He said to the men, 
"Whomsoever I shall kiss, that one is he. Take him," 
and he kissed Jesus. This almost broke the Savior's 
heart; and He said, "Judas, betrayest thou me with a 
kiss?" 

Then they arrested Him; and soon all the disciples for- 
sook Him. Even Peter, who shortly before said to the 
Lord, "If they all forsake thee, yet will I never forsake 
thee." But at this time, just when it seemed Jesus 
needed their sympathy so much, Peter denied Him, and 
said three times, "I do not know Jesus." 



14 LIVING FOR JESUS 

They led Him away to Caiphas, and to Herod, and 
had some false witnesses there to tell lies about Him. 
They spit in His face and smote Him with their hands, 
mocked and lashed Him. Then they put a crown of 
thorns on His head. How the Savior must have suffered, 
but through it all He was patient, loving, and kind. 

Pilate tried to set Him free, but the people cried out, 
"Crucify, crucify him. Let Barabbas, the murderer, go 
free, but crucify Jesus." Then Pilate delivered Him over 
to them to kill Him. 

They led Him out to Calvary, laid Him on the cross, 
drove the nails through His hands and feet, then raised 
the cross, and our precious Savior, who loved everybody 
and tried to help them, was crucified. And to show how 
they hated Him, they crucified Him between two thieves. 
When they were causing Him to suffer so much pain 
He cried out, "Father, forgive them." Even then the 
soldiers mocked Him. 

At this time one of the thieves who was crucified 
with Him, said, "Lord, remember me when you enter 
into your kingdom"; and amidst all His suffering Jesus 
said, "Today you shall be with me in paradise." 

He had now been on the cross in the hot sun for several 
hours and was very thirsty, and asked for a drink, but 
instead of giving Him a cool drink of water, they gave 
Him gall and vinegar. 

The Heavenly Father's heart was so grieved when He 
saw His Son suffering and dying on the cross, that even 
the sun was turned into darkness, and the earth began 
to quake, and the rocks were rent. At last, after suffer- 
ing for several hours, Jesus cried out, "It is finished, 
Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit," and our dear 
Savior died. He had finished His work. The promise 
which the Heavenly Father had given to Adam and Eve 



JESUS LOVES THE CHILDREN 15 

was now fulfilled, Jesus had died for the whole world, and 
now all who turn from sin and believe on Him may, for 
His sake, he saved. 

Some of the people who loved Him, took His body 
from the cross, wrapped it in clean linen, and laid it in 
a new grave; but the third day, that first glad and happy 
Easter morning, God sent His angel, who rolled away 
the stone and Jesus arose. When the women came to 
anoint His body the angel said, "He is not here, he is 
risen." 

He appeared later to the women, and to His disciples 
many times, and blessed them. One day, while sur- 
rounded by them on the mount of Olives, a cloud came 
and took Him away; but not until He had promised that 
He would send to them the Comforter, which is the Holy 
Ghost. 

Jesus is now at the right hand of God, praying for us; 
but in the Holy Spirit, whom He promised and sent, 
He is with us today. 

My dear young reader, when you read the story of 
our Savior's suffering and death on the cross, surely you 
will never doubt His love for you. My prayer is that 
you may give Him your heart right now, if you have not 
yet done so. He loves children, and came to save them, 
and has given a special invitation to them in these words, 
"Let the children come unto me." 

"On the cross my Savior suffered, 

That He might atone for me; 
And I love the blessed Savior, 
For His death on Calvary." 



CHAPTEK II 

JESUS CALLS THE CHILDREN EARLY 

GOD'S Word says, "They that seek me early shall find 
me." Jesus calls children to come to Him early 
because He knows that even very young children 
commit sin. When Satan got Adam and Eve to commit 
sin, he sowed the seed of sin in their hearts, and when 
their children were born they inherited this evil nature, 
which is a tendency to sin. This is the reason, my young 
reader, why you find it easy to do wrong, but have a battle 
when you want to do right. 

A mother said to her little girl, "Mollie, why do you 
try so hard to be naughty?" Mollie answered, "Why, 
mamma, I don't have to try to be naughty, I can just 
be naughty without trying; but if I want to be good, I 
have to try awful hard." This was true in this little girl's 
life because she, as well as all children, has been born 
with this disease of sin already in her heart. Before 
children are very old this inward principle of sin causes 
them to commit outward transgressions. 

Jesus is displeased with sin, and He died to help us 
get rid of it. He rejoices when children come to Him 
early. He does not want them to wait until they have 
gone on in sin for many years as many do. 

Children, even when very young, know when they 
commit sin. When I was about four years old, I told au 
untruth. My little heart was heavy because of it. I 
never forgot it, and it continued to trouble me until 
Jesus forgave me when I was converted. 

It is sinful when children are disobedient to parents, 
16 



JESUS CALLS EARLY 17 

when they get angry because they are called from their 
play to go on an errand, or when playmates do things 
they do not like and call them names, or make faces, 
also when they are selfish and want their own way, or 
want every body to please them. These things are sinful 
and children know it. The Lord has a little messenger, 
called conscience, who at once whispers to them that they 
have done wrong, and that they ought to ask forgiveness. 

If children do not get rid of sin while young, Satan 
will lead them on from one sin to another. Many times 
they get steeped in awful sin. Sin is a disease, and unless 
a cure is applied, no one but God knows to what depth of 
wickedness it may lead. 

Any boy or girl who allows sin to remain in their heart 
is not safe, for it may lead to a life of awful crimes, and 
will mean eternal death and separation from God for the 
soul. 

How fearful to think that all the thieves, robbers, 
blasphemers, drunkards, gamblers, murderers, etc., were 
once beautiful little girls and boys, but because they did 
not get rid of sin early in life, they were led on by Satan 
and got so wicked. 

While I lived in St. Louis a few years ago, a young 
man was arrested, tried, and sentenced to be hanged. The 
morning when he was to die on the gallows, they told 
him that his mother and sister had come and wished to 
see him. With a look of agony on his face he exclaimed, 
"My mother! I see my mother? No, I do not wish to 
see her. Please do not bring her in." They plead with 
him to let her come and see her boy once more, but he 
refused, and the heart-broken mother and sister went 
away. 

They questioned him later as to why he refused to 
see his mother. His answer was, "I can not bear to look 



18 LIVING FOR JESUS 

in that dear face. It seems only a few years when 1 
knelt by that precious mother's knee and she taught me 
to lisp in prayer, 'Now I lay me down to sleep.' It was 
she who tried to lead me to Jesus that He might take my 
sins away, but I was rebellious and wanted my own way. 
Sin led me on. I got into bad company, committed a 
crime, then killed two officers who tried to arrest me. 
Now in a few hours I will pay the penalty with my life, 
and will go into the presence of God without hope, all 
because I failed to take my dear mother's advice and let 
Jesus save me when a boy." 

All the dark crimes of the ages have been committed 
because of sin, and the only safe way for children is to 
come to Jesus early in life and let Him wash their sins 
away. 

Another reason why the Lord wants children to seek 
Him early is, because it is easier for them ,in childhood, 
to trust Him, than later in life, when their hearts have 
been hardened by sins of many years. 

We have prayed with many middle-aged and old peo- 
ple, who really seemed to have a desire to become Chris- 
tians, but their habits had become so fixed in sin that it 
was hard for them to believe that the Lord could deliver 
them. Then also, when we tried to get them to look to 
Jesus as their Savior, instead of getting their eyes On 
Him, they would continue to look at the many, many sins 
they had committed, and fail to get saved. 

Jesus has power, and will save 4 the most hardened 
sinners if they truly repent and fully trust Him, but this 
is much more difficult for older people to do than for the 
young. 

Another reason why children should seek the Lord 
early is, because they may not live to become old. If you 
go to the cemetery you will find there are many small 



JESUS CALLS EARLY 19 

graves. The death angel does not only come for middle- 
aged and old people, but often comes for children. If 
you have been tempted to wait and get saved when you 
have grown to young manhood or young womanhood, 
remember that many, many do not reach that age, but are 
called away in their childhood. 

I heard of a young girl who was much moved by a 
sermon and felt she should yield to the gentle wooing of 
the Holy Spirit. The minister tried to impress on the 
congregation the importance of getting saved now, and 
the danger of putting it off. This girl wrote on the fly 
leaf of her hymn book, "I'll run the risk," and in a few 
days she died without hope of salvation. 

My young reader, remember the words of the Lord, 
"Seek the Lord while he may be found." "They that 
seek me early shall find me." 



CHAPTEK III 

WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED 

THIS is the most important question that any one 
can ask, but to answer it fully would require much 
more space than can be allowed in a book like this. 
We hope, however, by the help of the Lord, in brief, to 
answer it so that the young reader may be able to find 
the way of eternal life. 

The Lord is willing and glad to save all people, but 
for those who will be saved there are certain conditions 
that must be met. There are two steps that must be taken 
before the Lord can save. These are repentance and 
faith. 

The Bible speaks a great deal and very definitely about 
repentance. We will give here just one of the many 
scriptures on this great subject: "Repent and be con- 
verted, that your sins may be blotted out." In this scrip- 
ture we notice that the very first step to be converted, or 
to have the sins blotted out, is repentance. 

Repentance means a great deal more than simply to 
turn over a new leaf, or to resolve to do better, as many 
seem to think. Let us see, in brief, what repentance 
means. 

First, there must be a conviction or consciousness of 
sin. Children sometimes speak of little sins, or white 
lies, or of telling stories; but in God's sight there are no 
little sins or white lies. All sin is very dark and black in 
His sight. Even what children call little sins, lead to 
eternal death, unless washed away through Jesus' blood. 
Children, do not let Satan deceive you, to look at any sin 

20 



WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED? 21 

lightly, but remember that God says, "The wages of sin 
is death." 

Second, there must be a godly sorrow for sin, not 
simply be sorry because we know punishment will follow, 
but to be sorry because a holy, righteous, and loving 
Heavenly Father has been sinned against. 

Many begin to pray when they think they are going 
to die, who are simply afraid to meet God, but have no 
godly sorrow for sin. Where there is godly sorrow there 
is always a turning from sin. 

A few years ago, a man with his family was traveling 
by wagon in Nebraska. While out on the prairie, far 
from any town or house, he saw a black, funnel-shaped 
cloud coming directly toward them. He knew it was a 
cyclone, and that if it should strike the wagon they would 
perhaps all be killed. The man said, "Well, wife, I guess 
our end has come. He jumped from the wagon, fell on 
his knees, and began to call on God to have mercy on his 
soul. The cloud turned and missed the wagon. A few 
days later they reached the town where we lived, and there, 
in the midst of a crowd of ungodly men, he told them his 
exeperience with the cyclone. Using one oath after an- 
other, laughing and joking, he said, "What a fool I was 
for getting so scared as to pray like that!" 

This man had no conviction or godly sorrow for sin, 
but was simply afraid of dying in his sinful condition, 
for when his life was spared he continued in sin. Had he 
really been sorry he would have for ever turned from sin 
and gotten saved and lived a Christian life. 

A little Salvation Army lassie was asked the meaning 
of repentance. She answered, "To repent of sin is to be 
sorry enough to quit." She was right. When a pesron 
has a godly sorrow and truly repents, he abhors sin and 



22 LIVING FOR JESUS 

turns from it with his whole heart. "The things he once 
loved he now hates." 

Third, repentance implies confession, and sometimes, 
restitution. There must always be confession of sin to 
God. He is loving and kind, and has sent His only Son 
to suffer and to die for us. Regardless of all this we 
have sinned against Him, and now to turn over a new leaf, 
or simply to do better in the future, would not blot out 
past sins, but the Lord tells us that, "If we confess he 
is faithful and just to forgive." 

A number of years ago, a young girl came to the 
parsonage to have a talk with us. Her name was Eva. 
She had always lived in the country, and seldom attended 
religious services. After moving to town with her parents, 
she began to attend our Sunday school. A little later we 
began revival services, which she also attended. Some 
of her schoolmates were beautifully converted. 

Eva semed very sad as she said, "Mrs. Ludwig, when 
I hear the girls testify and tell how happy they are since 
they got saved, it makes me feel sad, for I can not say 
that my sins are forgiven. Since I have attended your 
Sunday school I do not believe that I have committed a 
single sin, but I know I did before that, and just because 
I am good now, that will not blot out the sins I have 
committed in the past." And with a deep longing in her 
soul, she said, "I wish I was a Christian." 

I said to her, Eva, you may confess your sins to Jesus 
right now and He will blot them all out." She said, 
"That is just what I want to do." I called Mr. Ludwig 
in, we knelt down, and both prayed for her; then she 
prayed, in her simple, childlike way, confessed her sins; 
told the Lord how sorry she was, and asked Him to for- 
give her. When she got through she looked so happy, as 
she told us the Lord had forgiven her. 



WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED? 23 

That evening Eva gave a clear, beautiful testimony 
to God's saving grace in her soul. Some time later she 
knelt at the altar, and the Lord sanctified her wholly, 
and ever since she has lived for the Lord. The last I 
heard of her she was teaching a Sunday school class of 
little folks, and trying to lead them to Jesus. This little 
girl knew that something had to be done with her past 
sins. She confessed them and God saved her. 

Not only is it necessary to confess to God, but it is 
sometimes necessary to confess and make restitution to 
people. We read in the Bible about a man who wanted to 
get saved, who told Jesus that if he had wronged any 
man, he would give back to him four times as much as 
he had taken from him. 

Children not only sin against God, but sometimes 
against people; perhaps parents, or playmates. If so, con- 
fession should be made to them. 

I may be able to illustrate by telling you about a 
little boy of my acquaintance; his name was Theodore. 
He, with his parents, attended one of our campmeetings, 
where I was conducting the children's meetings. 

Theodore here learned what people must do to get 
saved. His heart began to get heavy because he was not 
a Christian. One night he went to the altar to pray, but 
he could not find peace for his soul. His parents and 
other Christian people wondered why he should have such 
a struggle. They thought, surely he has not many sins to 
repent of, for he was only eleven years old. 

That evening, after Theodore had gone to the tent 
with his parents, he wept, and wept, as if his heart would 
break. He finally said, "Papa and mamma, I want to tell 
you something awful I have done. When you sent me to 
the store with money to buy groceries, I took some of it 
and bought chewing gum and candy, and did not tell you 



24 LIVING FOR JESUS 

about it." And he begged his parents to forgive him. 
This, of course, made the parents feel very, very sad; but 
they were glad that he confessed it, and gladly forgave 
him. After this Theodore felt better but did not have 
the victory yet. Some time later, in the late hours of the 
night, he came to their bedside, woke them up, and amidst 
sobs said that he had not told them all yet, hut that at 
another time he had taken some money from their pocket 
book to buy candy and other things. 

They told him how bad this was, and what an awful 
sin, but that they would gladly forgive all. After this 
was all out of the way he could believe and trust Jesus 
to forgive, and the Lord gave him the assurance that his 
sins were blotted out. 

My young reader may never have done what this boy 
did, but has perhaps committed sin along some other 
line that needs to be confessed to some one besides the 
Lord. 

I read in a Sunday school paper about a little boy 
who was going to say his prayers by his mother's knee 
before he was tucked away in bed. He began, 
"Now I lay me down to sleep, 
I pray the Lord my soul to keep; 
If I should die—" 
then he stopped. His mother told him to go on. Then, 
suddenly he jumped up and skipped downstairs. In a 
few moments he returned, knelt down, and finished his 
prayer. 

His mother said, "Why, Roy, what made you so 
thoughtless as to run downstairs in the midst of your 
prayer ?" Roy answered, "Mamma, before I came upstairs 
I scattered brother's blocks all over the floor, just to see 
how he would fuss when he found them like that in the 
morning; but 'if I should die before I wake,' I would not 



WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED? 25 

want him to find them that way, and I would not want 
to meet Jesus before I had straightened them out." 

Yes, my dear children, we will meet all our dear loved 
ones, and friends, and Jesus some day at the judgment, 
and how glad we will be then, if we have left nothing 
undone or upset before leaving this world. Let us be 
careful that, as far as lies in us, everything is straight- 
ened out. 

We have now come to the second step that is necessary 
to be taken in order to get saved. The first step was 
repentance, as we have tried to set forth. It includes: 
First, conviction of sin. Second, a godly sorrow for sin, 
or turning from sin. Third, confession to God; also con- 
fession and restitution to man where necessary. We are 
now ready to take the next step, which is faith, or in 
other words, believing that God forgives and accepts us 
as his own. 

Faith here, however, is more than simply an intel- 
lectual assent to the great truths of the Bible. The 
Word says, "With the heart man believeth unto righteous- 
ness." Faith is not only a belief of the head, but of the 
heart. We may believe with the head that Jesus died to 
bring salvation to all, and yet not have saving faith. 

A few months ago we were conducting a meeting 
where many sought and found the Lord. A young man, 
the son of a wealthy farmer, came to the altar of prayer to 
give his heart to the Lord. His heart seemed to be all 
melted up. He had some confession and restitution to 
make, and was having quite a struggle. We were praying 
with him, and he was making good progress. A woman 

knelt down by his side, saying, "Now, Mr. , do n't 

you believe that Jesus died for sinners, and that He died 
for you ?" He raised his head, and with tear-stained eyes 
looked her full in the face, saying, "Do I believe that 



26 LIVING FOR JESUS 

Jesus died for sinners, and that He died for me? Of 
course I do. I have believed that ever since I was a kid, 
but that alone does not save me." He went to prayer 
again, confessed his sins, promised to make restitution 
at his earliest convenience, and was soon enabled to lay 
hold of Jesus by saving faith, and to take Him as his 
own personal Savior, and at once he rejoiced in sins 
forgiven. This was a different faith than when all his 
life he had belived Jesus to be the Savior of the world. 
Even the devils know this, but that does not save them. 

My dear young reader, after you truly repent of your 
sins it pleases the Heavenly Father very much if you 
look up into His dear face and trust and believe that just 
now, at this very moment, He forgives. Remember that 
the Bible says, "If we confess our sins he is faithful and 
just to forgive," and again, "He that cometh unto me I 
will in no wise cast out." And another promise, "There 
is rejoicing in heaven among the angels over one sinner 
that repents." 

A father, who was a dentist, had two daughters who 
were going to spend the afternoon, when he was not busy, 
in his office. A telephone message called him away and he 
was compelled to leave the two little girls alone for about 
an hour. As he left he cautioned them not to touch his 
delicate instruments. 

After the father was gone they got lonesome, and 
thought they would just look at the things, which they 
did, and were soon not only looking at, but handling 
them. G-racie was looking at a peculiar shaped glass, 
which she dropped and broke. 

This made them think of their father's command. 
Looking around, they saw how they had scattered the 
little instruments all over, and there was the broken glass 
on the floor. Just at this time they heard their father's 



WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED? 27 

footsteps. Gracie said, "Let us hide, papa might punish 
us," and runnning to another part of the room she hid 
behind some heavy drapery. 

Jennie, who was the younger, said, "No, I am going 
right to papa and tell him how sorry I am. And even if 
he punishes me I know he will forgive me." She ran 
across the room as fast as she could, met her papa with 
his usual smile at the head of the stairs. All she could 
say for a few moments was, "Oh papa! oh papa!" as she 
put her arms around his neck and her tear-stained cheek 
against his. 

Her papa was very much surprised to find his little 
girl act that way and said, "Darling, what has happened ?" 
"Oh, papa! I am so sorry I disobeyed you. I can't tell 
you how sorry I am," she said as she pointed to the 
disorderly office, the scattered instruments, and the 
broken glass on the floor. Her father looked at the things 
for a moment, then into the face of his little daughter, 
and gathering her again into his arms, said, "My dear, 
I am sorry you disobeyed me, but I am so glad you 
confessed it. I will gladly forgive you. Wlhere is 
Gracie?" Just then he saw her trying to hide from him. 
He called her to his side and asked why she was hiding. 
She said, "Papa, I have disobeyed you and I just know 
you will never forgive me. I did not know what else 
to do but to hide." The father's heart was very sad, not 
so much because of the disobedience, as that his little 
girl had no faith in hirn to forgive her. 

These two little girls were both disobedient, but after 
they saw the wrong they had done, their actions were 
very different. With which, does my reader think, their 
papa was pleased? With the way Jennie did, or the way 
Gracie did? You say, with Jennie. Yes, I am sure he 
was. Then, my dear little boy or girl, you who are reading 



28 LIVING FOR JESUS 

these pages, if you are not saved, do as Jennie did. Go 
at once with your heavy, sin-burdened heart to Jesus, 
confessing your sin, and have faith and believe that He 
forgives this very moment; for remember again the beau- 
tiful scripture, "If we confess our sins he is faithful and- 
just to forgive our sins." 



CHAPTEE IV 
AT WHAT AGE MAY CHILDREN BE CONVERTED 

ANUMBEE of years ago, in mission work I learned 
to know a little girl named Hattie. Her father 
and mother were both Christians. Her father 
was a contractor and builder, and was superintendent 
of our mission, doing most of the preaching. 

Before Hattie was six years old her baby brother was 
taken home to heaven. After her sixth birthday, one day 
she was a little disobedient. Her mother told her she must 
ask the Lord to forgive her, or she could never go to 
heaven and meet Jesus and her brother. At once she 
slipped down from her mother's lap and went into the 
parlor. 

Her mother went about her work, but soon thought she 
would go and see what her little girl was doing. She 
tiptoed to the half -open door and there saw Hattie kneeling 
by a chair, with her hands folded, tears rolling down her 
cheeks, her face turned heavenward, and praying to Jesus 
to forgive her sins. Her mother thought best to leave 
her alone, and did not disturb her. 

In a few moments Hattie came running to her mother, 
her face all aglow, clapping her hands, saying, "Oh, 
mamma, Jesus has forgiven all my sins, and I am so 
happy. Now if I die, I will go home to heaven and see 
Jesus and brother." 

Her mother told me that from that time Hattie was a 
true Christian, and would talk to her playmates about 
Jesus. She would go with her father to the hospitals 

29 



30 LIVING FOR JESUS 

and workhouse, and sing for the sick and for the pris- 
oners. She was a little soldier for Jesus from that day. 

At the age of twelve, one night going home from the 
service with her parents, she seemed to be sad. They 
asked her what was the matter. She answered, "I wish I 
had gone to the altar tonight and asked the Lord to 
sanctify me. I feel I can not wait until tomorrow night." 
They told her she need not wait, but they would pray with 
her when they got home. This they did, and that night 
the Lord gave her a pure heart. Her mother said she 
had never before seen such a beautiful and heavenly 
sight; that Hattie looked like a little angel as she was 
praising the Lord. Then she began to pray for her two 
older sisters who were unsaved. 

A few months later Hattie took sick. The physician 
said she must have an operation immediately or she could 
not live, and even then it was doubtful whether she would 
get over it. Her parents told her what the doctor said, 
and asked her whether she would be willing to undergo 
the operation. She said, "You do as you think best." 

They took her to the hospital. When she was dressed 
all in white and laid on the operating table, her father 
said to her, "Now, Hattie, the doctors will put you to 
sleep, and you may not wake up in this world. Shall I 
pray with you once more?" Her father said later he 
would never forget the look of surprise on her face as 
she said, "Why, papa, I've done my praying and am 
ready to go." They operated on her and in a few moments 
she opened her eyes and said, "Mamma, papa," and the 
angels took her pure soul to be with Jesus, whom she loved 
so dearly, and served so faithfully. 

Had Hattie decided to wait until she was grown to 
become a Christian, she never would have been saved, 
for she died when only twelve years of age. 



CONVERTED AT WHAT AGE? 31 

At the tender age of only six she realized when she had 
done wrong she must ask Jesus to forgive her, and of 
course, when she asked Him He would not turn her away, 
for He said, "Let little children come unto me." And, 
"They that seek me early, shall find me." 

What would my young reader think of a mother, 
who, when her little girl had been disobedient but later 
became very sorry, and would come to her with a broken 
heart asking her forgiveness, she would say, "No, I can 
not forgive you now, you are too young, you must come- 
back when you are older, then I will forgive you." Surely 
no loving mother would do that way. 

Then, my dear little reader, if you have sinned against 
the Heavenly Father and are sorry, be sure of this, that 
He will not put you off until you are older, but will, 
this very moment, forgive you if you ask Him. 

Our little boy, Sylvester, was converted when very 
young. We had always taught him that when he had done 
wrong, or had been disobedient, he must ask the Lord, 
as well as his parents, to forgive him. 

One day, when he was not yet six years old he had 
been unusually disobedient, so that I had to punish him 
a number of times. I also talked to him, telling him 
how it grieved the Lord for him to be naughty. 

At night, after we had retired, and I was about to go 
to sleep, he reached over his hand and stroked my cheek, 
said, "Mamma, are you asleep?" I said, "No, Sylvester, 
I am not; what is the matter?" "Oh!" he said, "I can't 
go to sleep." I tried to get him to tell me what troubled 
him,, but he would not, and tried to go to sleep, but failed ; 
and again stroking my cheek, said, "Mamma, are you 
asleep?" I told him that I was not, and again tried to 
persuade him to tell me what was the matter. He began 
to sob, putting his arm around my neck, said, "Oh! 



32 LIVING FOR JESUS 

mamma, I have been so naughty and I want you to forgive 
me." I assured him I would, and kissed him and thought 
he Would soon go to sleep. 

After a few moments he turned to me, as before strok- 
ing my cheek, and again asking me if I was asleep. I 
told him I was not, and sobbing as if his heart would 
break, he said, "Mamma, I can't go to sleep yet, I want 
Jesus to forgive my sins." I told him that Jesus would 
surely do it. He got on his knees, buried his head in his 
folded arms, and weeping bitterly, prayed in these words, 
"O Jesus, I have been so naughty; forgive me and I'll not 
do it any more. Amen." He raised his head, dried his 
tears, kissed me, and in a few moments was sound asleep. 
I fully believe that there he was converted. 

Several years later he felt he had not been as true as 
he should have been, he asked us for forgiveness, and at 
an altar of prayer again got the joy in his soul. 

A little later he said he wanted to be sanctified, he 
asked the Lord for a pure heart, and trusted Him for it, 
and now, at the age of twelve, testifies in public meetings 
to what the Lord has done for him. Just a few days ago 
we received a letter from him where he signed his name, 
"Your boy, Sylvester, saved and sanctified." 

To the question, at what age may children be con- 
verted? we would answer, as soon as they know right 
from wrong. They can, very early, be taught to love 
Jesus, and exercise saving faith in Him. 

A. M. Hills says, "A few years ago the state Sabbath 
school convention met in Detroit, Mich. One of the great 
audiences was tested. It was found that more than two 
thousand were converted under twenty years of age; 
103 were converted between twenty and twenty-five; 
forty-one between twenty-five and thirty; twenty-three be- 
tween thirty and forty; two between forty and fifty; and 



CONVERTED AT WHAT AGE? 33 

over fifty, only two. Only 171' were over twenty years of 
age at conversion out of, at least, twenty-two hundred 
Christians/' 

"For more than three years I have kept a record of 
those professing conversion in my meetings. Of 3,108 
converts, cnly 412 were over twenty when converted." 

"Bishop Simpson was converted at four years of ago 
. . . Adam Clarke, one of the great scholars and commen- 
tators of Methodism, was converted at four years of age. 
... At four years of age Count Zinzendorf made this 
covenant with Christ : "Be Thou mine, dear Savior, and 
I will be thine." 

We thank God for the aged people whom we have been 
privileged to see definitely converted, but how much better 
when a whole life is given to the service of God. 

My dear young reader, it is not your Heavenly Father's 
will that you spend a number of years in sin. Give your 
young heart to Him. He can and will save you now. 



CHAPTEK V 

CHILDREN MAY BE CERTAIN OF 
SINS FORGIVEN 

WE READ in the Bible of a man who was born 
blind, whose eyes Jesus opened. When they 
questioned him about it he said, "One thing I 
know, whereas I was blind, now I see." They tried to 
entangle him in many ways, but he was sure of this one 
thing; he had been blind all his life, and now his eyes 
were opened. 

The Lord uses physical blindness as a type, or picture, 
to show in what an awful condition people are while in 
sin, and calls it spiritual blindness; but as Jesus had 
power to open physical eyes, so He has power to open 
spiritual eyes. This takes place when sins are forgiven, 
and we may be just as certain of sins forgiven as this 
man was that his blinded eyes were opened; for the Lord 
has a way of letting His children know. He says in His 
Word that, "His Spirit beareth witness with our spirit 
that we are the children of God." 

When children have disobeyed mother and asked her 
forgiveness, she can tell them in a way that they can 
understand that she forgives. Now, our Heavenly Father 
can speak just as plain to us as our parents, only He 
speaks through the Bible and His Holy Spirit; but when 
we really get converted we can understand it just as well 
as when mother speaks, and oh, how precious it is when 
the Savior tells us our sins are all forgiven! 

Ruth, a sweet little girl, eight years old, and a member 
of our Sunday school in a little town in Nebraska, whose 

34 



CHILDREN MAY BE CERTAIN 35 

mother was a true Christian, was kneeling with the rest 
of the family for morning worship. Her mother noticed 
that she was weeping, and asked her what was the matter. 
Kuth said, "I want Jesus to forgive my sins." Her 
mother prayed with her, and she prayed also. Her mother 
had to step into the kitchen for a moment, and told her 
to keep on praying, that she would be back at once. 
When she returned Ruth met her in the door with a 
shining face, clapping her hands, saying, "Jesus has 
saved me." 

This little girl's mother was not even in the room when 
Jesus spoke to her, but He made it so plain that she knew 
beyond a doubt that all her sins were gone. 

Ruth's parents lived near town, about a mile from 
church, but I remember Ruth coming a number of times 
all alone to the afternoon services where she prayed and 
testified. One Sunday night she gave a beautiful, clear 
testimony. When they got home her older sister said, 
"Ruth, I do not see how you can get up before all those 
people and testify. I could not do that." But Ruth said, 
"Why, of course not, Vera, when you have not been con- 
verted you have nothing to testify to, but after Jesus 
saves you and you know your sins are forgiven you will 
be glad to tell people about it." 

Some time later Vera came forward, knelt at the altar, 
and gave her young heart to Jesus. 

The Lord does not want to leave His children in dark- 
ness or uncertainty as to their soul's salvation, but can 
give them the witness that He has accepted them as His 
own. 

My sister Clara, who is now in heaven, took a great 
deal of interest in a little girl in Illinois, encouraging 
her to give her young heart to Jesus. The little girl's 
name was Bessie, and she was nine years old. 



36 LIVING FOR JESUS 

One morning Bessie's mother found her sitting in a 
corner of the dining room with a sad face and tears in her 
eyes, and on asking her why she was weeping, she said, 
"Mamma, I would like for you to pray with me. I want 
to be a Christian." 

Even though the mother was not living as close to the 
Lord as she should have lived, yet, when she saw that her 
little girl wanted to be a Christian, knelt down and 
prayed with her. When they had both prayed, Bessie 
arose, and with a calm face and beaming eyes, said that 
she knew Jesus had heard and answered her prayer, and 
that her sins were forgiven. 

A few days later her mother came into the room with 
a bucket of coal for the base burner, pouring it in and 
completely covering the red, glowing coal. At once Bessie 
began to jump and clap her hands, saying, "Oh, Mamma, 
that's just like it!" Her mother said, "Why, Bessie, 
what do you mean? Just like what?" Oh, that's just 
like when Jesus covered my sins. Just like the coal 
covered all the fire, so that you can't see any of it, so 
Jesus covered my sins with His blood, and they are all 
blotted out." 

Soon after this Bessie led her brother to Jesus, and 
he was happily converted. Then she told her mother she 
would like to unite with the church, but her mother told 
her she was too young. Bessie said, "Why, mamma, if I 
am not too young for Jesus to save me, why should I 
be too young to be taken into the church?" Her mother 
talked to the pastor about it and he said, "Yes, Bessie may 
come and unite if she wants to." So she was baptized 
and taken into the church and lived a happy Christian 
life. 

Just as the dear Lord gave these little children the 



CHILDREN MAY BE CERTAIN 37 

assurance of sins forgiven, so He can and will every one 
who trusts in Him. 

While I am writing this chapter we are in a revival 
meeting in Plainville, Kansas. One night last week the 
pastor's little boy, Harold, who is seven years old, came 
to the altar, but did not seem to get victory. 

A few days later he went outside behind the barn, 
where he had built a little booth for a playhouse. Here, 
all alone, he got down and prayed earnestly, asking the 
Lord to forgive his sins, and the Lord answered his 
prayer and came into his little heart. 

Harold came to the house very happy, telling his 
mamma, "I feel so good in here," laying his~ hand on 
his heart. At the evening service he gave a beautiful 
testimony to what the Lord had done for him. 

We praise the Lord for the privilege we have of lead- 
ing the children to Jesus. And that He, in His own 
beautiful and simple way, speaks peace to their hearts. 
They know His voice and gladly follow Him. 

"I came to Jesus, weary, worn, and sad, 
He took my sins away; 
And now His love hath made my heart so glad, 
He took my sins away. 

"The load of sin was more than I could bear, 
He took it all away; 
And now on Him I roll my every care, 
He took my sins away. 

"If you will come to Jesus Christ today, 
He'll take your sins away; 
And keep you happy in His love each day, 
He'll take your sins away." 



CHAPTEE VI 

CONVERSION THE BEGINNING OF TRUE 
HAPPINESS AND A USEFUL LIFE 

MANY of my friends have expressed a desire that I 
write my experience. It would be impossible to 
go into detail about my conversion, sanctification, 
the healing of my body, and call to missionary, and later 
evangelistic, work, in a book like this; but I pray God 
that He may use to His glory and for the salvation of 
souls as I give just a brief sketch of my conversion. 

Since the day the Lord saved me it has given me great 
pleasure to testify, and I give the following to my readers, 
simply as a testimony to the saving power of Jesus. I 
am glad to say from my own experience that conversion 
is the beginning of true happiness. 

Our Heavenly Father has made all of us so that there 
is something within us that can not be truly satisfied 
without him. As children grow up they may take up with 
worldly pleasures and think for the time that these satisfy 
and bring true happiness; but even what seems to be 
happiness along this line is not lasting, and does not 
satisfy the soul; but, over and over, conscience whispers 
that Jesus is displeased and that there is a better way. 
We can only have the deep longing of the heart satisfied 
as we give ourselves to Jesus, who knows just how to 
make us happy. 

When I was a young girl, before I was converted, I 
was, as most young people are, full of life and wanted a 
good time. While I never went deep into worldly amuse- 
ment, yet I did to some extent, and tried to make myself 

38 



CONVERSION THE BEGINNING 39 

believe that those thing's satisfied; but, over and over, 
after coming home at night from some place of worldly 
amusement, or after desecrating the Sabbath day at a 
party, I would, after all the rest of the family had gone 
to sleep, lie awake and weep until late in the night, feel- 
ing that the Lord was displeased with the way I was 
doing, to wake up in the morning, not only with a head- 
ache, but with an awful ache in my soul. 

I can not remember the time when I did not have a 
desire to be a Christian. When only six years of age 
I would often go alone in my room, shut the door, and 
pray. When a little older, would at times leave my play- 
mates and find a lonely place where I could be alone and 
think about God and pray. This longing to be a Chris- 
tian stayed with me as I grew up; but on the other hand 
there was a love for the world in my heart, and I would 
do many things that I knew I ought not to do. Then I 
would fully decide that I would be good and never do 
anything wrong again, but would always fail, for I was 
trying to be good in my own strength; I had not yet 
been converted. 

As I got older and went more and more with the 
world it seemed my heart got heavier all the time. The 
world could not fill the aching void in my soul. 

The load of sin got so heavy that I felt I could carry 
it no longer. My desire was to get away somewhere where 
I might have an opportunity to go to church, for while 
at home I could not attend Sunday school or any religious 
services. 

I begged my parents to let me go to the city to work. 
I did not tell them why I really wanted to go. They at 
first refused, but finally said I might go. I prayed for 
the Lord to open the way for me to get saved, for this 
was the cry of my heart. 



40 LIVING FOR JESUS 

I had not been away from home very much, but came 
right from my country home to the city of St. Louis. 
While there alone, just a young girl, I found my way to 
church. I continued praying and asking the Lord to help 
me find a church where they had revival services, that I 
might get a chance to get saved. I did not know that I 
could give my heart to Him anywhere, and that He could 
forgive my sins at home just as well as at church. 

The first service I attended was on Sunday morning, 
at a Methodist church, and I was made to rejoice when 
the pastor announced that they would begin revival serv- 
ices on Monday night. That night I again found my 
way to the church. I was lonely, homesick, and sinsick. 
As I entered the large church, I took the first seat by 
the door. 

They opened the services, sang a few hymns, prayed, 
and the pastor preached. I did not hear much of the 
sermon. I was anxiously waiting for him to give an 
opportunity to seek the Lord. 

At last the time came. The pastor asked the congrega- 
tion to stand while they sang an invitation hymn. I 
stood with the rest, and wanted to go forward, but it 
seemed some awful power was holding me back. They 
sang several verses, and at last finished the hymn. The 
congregation was seated while the Christian people knelt 
for prayer, but I stood there and could not move. An 
aged Christian man with flowing hair (I am sorry I never 
learned his name), came to me, took me by the hand and 
tenderly invited me to come to Jesus. 

I began to weep and almost ran to the altar. I 
prayed and wept, but my weary heart did not find peace. 
After the service I went to the pastor and told him what 
a burden I had on my heart and how anxious I was to 
find Jesus, but he did not seem to be able to help me. 



CONVERSION THE BEGINNING 41 

I started to leave the church to go home, very much 
discouraged and almost in despair. I thought I might as 
well give up, and made up my mind that it was no use to 
ever come back to church, but as I walked down the aisle 
a Christian young man reached out his hand to me and 
gave me a few words of encouragement, saying, "My 
sister, trust the Lord, He will surely save you. He has 
saved me and will not turn you away." Eternity only 
will tell what these words of encouragement were to my 
weary heart at an hour like this. 

I at once decided I would come back to church and 
would seek the Lord until I found peace. As I walked 
out into the vestibule a young woman threw her arms 
around my neck and with tears of sympathy in her eyes, 
said, "I am praying for you. The Lord will save you. He 
loves you; trust Him." How I thank the dear Lord to 
this day for those two Christian young people who lived 
so close to the Master that He could use them to come to 
my help in this time of great need, when my soul was 
hanging in the balance. 

I came back to church the following evening and again 
went forward, but did not get saved. As I went to my 
room that night I had determined that I would get on my 
knees by my bedside and pray, never to arise until I knew 
my sins were forgiven. 

I went to prayer about nine o'clock and prayed for 
three hours, when I felt I could pray no more. I was 
through praying. At that moment I should have fully 
trusted Jesus and believed that He would forgive me, for 
He said He would, but I had no one to tell me this and to 
help me to get my eyes of faith on Him; but the Lord 
knew how to help me, and while there waiting before 
Him, suddenly I heard the sweetest singing. As if far off 



42 LIVING FOR JESUS 

in the distance a band of angels were singing this hymn; 
I could understand every word distinctly : 

"There is a gate that stands ajar, 
And through its portals gleaming; 
A radiance from the cross afar, 
The Savior's love revealing. 

"Oh, sinner look away from guilt, 
Nor let your heart deceive you; 
For you the blood of Christ was spilt, 
He's waiting to receive you." 

Oh, the joy that flooded my soul at that moment can 
never be expressed in words; I took Jesus as my Savior. 
To me He was no longer only the Savior of the world, 
but He was my Savior. "For me the blood of Christ 
was spilt." By simple faith in Him I was made whole. 

I had never been present when any one got converted. 
I had never heard any one praise the Lord, or seen any 
outward manifestation of the joy of the Lord in the soul, 
but when the Lord rolled the burden from my sinsick 
heart, I leaped to my feet and with both hands raised 
heavenward I walked the floor, praising the Lord. No 
one told me to do this for I was all alone at home. I was 
not doing this because some one else did, for I had never 
heard any one praise the Lord, but my heart was so full 
of joy that I could not hold it all and had to bubble over. 
I was so happy that I felt I would like to spend the rest 
of my life praising the Lord for rolling that awful burden 
away that I had carried so long. 

I had turned out the light before I had gone to prayer, 
but it seemed to me the room was lit up with the glory 
of God. Oh, what peace and joy filled my soul! What 
rest had come into my heart! 



CONVERSION THE BEGINNING 43 

This was what I had not been able to find in the enjoy- 
ments of the world. But Jesus can and does satisfy. 

Now, after living a Christian life for a number of 
years, I can say with all my heart that this was the be- 
ginning of true happiness for me. 

I retired a little after twelve o'clock, and it seemed to 
me that I had never slept so peacefully in all my life as 
I did that night. The next morning I awoke, got up, and 
walked to the window. I felt as if I was in a new world. 
The trees seemed to be clapping their hands. Even the 
buildings, that were otherwise all black with smoke, 
seemed to shine with the glory of God. 

I was in the same old world, looking at the same trees 
and houses that I had looked at many times before, the 
change had taken place in my heart. Jesus had given me 
a new heart. This made everything look new and beau- 
tiful to me. 

Not only was this the beginning of a happy life, but at 
least to some extent a useful life. Although I have not 
been able to accomplish for Jesus what many others have 
done, and what I would like to have done, yet, by His 
help, I have been able to lead many children as well as 
older ones to the precious Savior, who has done so much 
for me. 

Some time after I was converted, in reading the Bible 
I saw that God's children can be sanctified. I conse- 
crated my all to Him and He cleansed my heart, baptizing 
me with the Holy Ghost, as He has promised to do for all 
His children. 

Then He sweetly whispered to me that He had some 
work for me to do among the poor people in the city. I 
said, "Yes, Lord, I will do all I can to bring to these 
people the sweet story of the cross and the power of Jesus 
that could save them from all sin and make them happy. 



44 LIVING FOR JESUS 

I expect to meet many dear souls in heaven whom the 
Lord has helped me in this way to rescue from sin. 

Later the Lord made it clear to me that He wished me 
to leave this work and do evangelistic work; to preach 
the gospel of full salvation; which my dear husband, 
whom the Lord has given me since, and I, are doing at 
the present time. The Lord is blessing, and souls are 
being saved and sanctified, for which we give Him all 
the glory. 

Now, my dear reader, I have given you a few words of 
my own experience, praying if you are not saved you may 
be encouraged to come to Jesus, the Savior, who has 
promised to receive all who come to Him. If you do this 
I am sure this will be the beginning of true happiness 
for you, and also of a useful life. Remember, that we 
pass through this world only once. We have only one 
life to live and this should be wholly given in the serv- 
ice of our dear Lord. 

The Master may not call you to be a missionary, or 
to preach, or to fill some public place, but He will have 
some work for you to do where your influence will lead 
souls to Jesus. 

It is very important, therefore, to begin to serve Jesus 
while young, so that the Lord can get the best out of your 
life and fit you for just the place He wants you to fill. 

The following incident will show how God can work 
in the lives of those who turn to Him in childhood, and 
how He can use them to save others: 

"Landen Taylor was holding a meeting in Athens, 
Ohio, many years ago. Two little boys attended. The 
invitation was given, but somehow they did not respond. 

"The meeting closed. Out on the street the boys were 
telling each other their feelings. A Christian man passed 
and asked what was the matter; they told him their 



CONVERSION THE BEGINNING 45 

secret. He tenderly advised them to give their hearts 
to Jesus. The boys thought they ought to get saved at 
the mourner's bench. 

"The man went with them but found the church locked 
and dark. He opened the window, helped the two boys 
in, got in himself, and led them to the altar, and there 
they gave their hearts to the Lord. These two boys were 
Bishop Charles McCabe and Bishop David Moore, of the 
Methodist church. After a long life of usefulness Bishop 
McCabe went home to glory, while Bishop Moore is still 
laboring for Jesus, but no doubt will soon hear the Master 
say, 'Well done, thou good and faithful servant, enter 
into the joys of the Lord/ " 

Had these two boys rejected Jesus when He was 
dealing with their young hearts, they could never have 
filled these responsible places in life, where they led so 
many souls to Christ. 

My dear girls and boys, you who read these pages. I 
am sure your desire is to be happy, and to be useful. 
Remember that there is something within you that can 
never be truly happy only as you let Jesus come into 
your heart. Your soul was made to enjoy God, and with- 
out Him you can no more be happy than a little fish can 
be happy when it is taken from the water, or a bird when 
it is robbed of its liberty in the air. Nor can our lives 
be truly successful or useful unless the Lord works through 
us. Give your heart to the Lord, then let Him use you 
in His service and you will be happy and lay up treasures 
in heaven. 



CHAPTER VII 

SANCTIFICATION 

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God" 
(Matt. 5:8). 

"Be ye holy; for I am holy" (1 Peter 1: 16). 

"This is the will of God, even your sanctification" (1 Thess. 
4:3). 

"Holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord" (Heb. 
12:14). 

IS" OUR work with children, we have had the joy, not 
only of seeing some of them beautifully converted, 

but also a great number, after they were converted, 
definitely sanctified. 

Full salvation includes two definite works of God's 
grace in the heart. The first, which we have considered 
in the preceding chapters, we speak of in different terms, 
such as conversion, regeneration, being born again, or 
being saved. All these refer to the first work of God's 
grace; when this is done, our sins, which we have com- 
mitted, are forgiven, and we become children of God. 

This, however, is not all God wants to do for us, but 
He wants to sanctify us. Let us now remember, that as 
the Lord uses different words in speaking of the first 
work of grace, so He has different names for the second, 
such as, sanctification, holiness, purity, cleansing, perfec- 
tion, perfect love, and many others ; be sure and remember 
this as you read your Bible and as you read this chapter. 

We read a great deal about this important subject in 
the Bible. God is holy, and He wants a holy people; all 
who would live with Him must be holy. 

When God created Adam and Eve He made them pure 
and holy. They sinned and lost their holiness, but God 

46 



SANCTIFICATION 47 

sent Jesus, the Savior, to bring man back, morally, into 
the relation with God from which Adam and Eve fell. 
Through Jesus we can be made holy. 

God has done, and is doing, all that is necessary, if we 
will only let Him, to bring us back to holiness in this life. 

The Holy Ghost inspired holy men to write the Holy 
Bible, which teaches us how to be made holy, that we may 
live holy lives in this world, and after we die, live with a 
holy God, a holy Savior, the Holy Ghost, holy angels, and 
holy people, in a holy heaven. 

The Bible teaches clearly that we need holiness. We 
read, "Be ye holy." He tells us that "without it we can 
not see God," and again, "This is the will of God, even 
your sanctification," and many other scriptures like this. 
Let us pray God to help us that we may not stop short of 
this great and blessed experience which He has promised 
to all His children. 

Holiness, or sanctification, is not the same as conver- 
sion. They are two distinct experiences. 

In conversion all our transgressions, or sins which we 
have committed, are forgiven. 

In sanctification God cleanses the heart from all im- 
purities and makes it holy. 

In conversion we are born of the Spirit. 

In sanctification the heart is purified and we are bap- 
tized with the Holy Spirit. 

Every person who is truly converted and walking in 
the light has a desire for purity and for the filling of the 
Spirit. 

All children are born with the seed of sin, or the carnal 
nature, already in their hearts, and as they grow up this 
manifests itself in outward sins, such as, disobedience, 
untruthfulness, anger, pride, or along some other line. 



48 LIVING FOR JESUS 

These sins crop out because of the sin principle that has 
been inherited from their forefatheres. 

My readers have all heard and read about leprosy. 
We are told that all children born of parents who are 
afflicted with leprosy will at some time in life get this 
disease. The germ of leprosy was already in the blood 
when they were born. This could not be seen until later 
when it broke out in the skin. So it is with sin. Adam 
and Eve got the disease of sin and all children born 
since have the germ of sin in their natures. You can not 
detect it at first, but later it breaks out in actual sins. 

In conversion these outward sins, such as we have 
mentioned, disobedience, untruthfulness, anger, etc., are 
forgiven, but the Bible does not say that this removes 
the root of sin from the heart, but the Lord has promised 
that if we come to Him He will purify our heart and fill 
it with His Holy Spirit. Perhaps we can make this clear 
to you in the following illustrations. 

Illustration No. 1 represents the heart of a little child 
before it knows the difference between right and wrong. 
We see a little black root in the heart. This represents 
inbred sin, which has been inherited. The Bible calls 
this the root of bitterness, the carnal mind, the sin that 
dwelleth in us, the sin that doth so easily beset us, the 
body of death, the old man. David referred to this when 
he said, "Behold I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did 
my mother conceive me." 

This root of sin is in the heart of every baby, yet the 
child is not responsible for it, therefore it is not guilty 
and is covered by the atoning blood of Christ. (The 
dotted line around the heart represents the covering of 
the blood. The reader may trace this with a red pencil, 
which will make it plainer.) As the child grows up and 
becomes old enough to distinguish between right and 



SANCTIFICATION 



49 



&*s< 



J #* 



<"'*< 




>* % '. *V& /" ^ 



No. / 




No. X 





No. ,3 



No.t 



50 LIVING FOR JESUS 

wrong, out of this root of sin springs outward transgres- 
sion. The child becomes guilty before God, and is now a 
sinner in His sight. 

No. 2 represents the heart of a sinner. He has not 
only the root of sin in the heart, but because of the ten- 
dency to sin and the temptations from without, he commits 
actual sins. Now he is guilty before God and is no more 
covered by the blood. If any one dies in this condition 
he loses his soul. 

Now let us see what the Lord says. "If we confess our 
sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins." If this 
person listens to God's Word, and confesses his sins, and 
truly repents and trusts the Lord, then all these things, 
that is, the outward sins, are forgiven and in illustration 
No. 3 we have the heart of a converted person. All actual 
sins are forgiven and it is again covered by the blood. 

We notice, however, that forgiveness does not remove 
the root of sin, which was there when the child was born, 
and for which he was not responsible, therefore can not be 
forgiven, but needs cleansing or purging. 

The Lord nowhere in His Word promises to do this 
for the sinner. The sinner needs forgiveness, the con- 
verted person needs sanctification, or purifying. Every- 
where in the Bible where God promises cleansing, puri- 
fying, sanctification, holiness, or other terms with the same 
meaning, He is speaking of what He wants to do for His 
children. This is not a promise to the sinner but to the 
Christian. 

The Standard Dictionary gives the following definition 
of sanctification: "Sanctify: To make holy . . . Sancti- 
fication: Specifically in theology, the gracious work of 
the Holy Spirit whereby the believer is freed from sin 
and exalted to holiness of heart and life." 



SANCTIFICATION 5l 

God wants to sanctify, to cleanse, to purify every be- 
liever's heart. 

In illustration No. 4 we have the picture of a sancti- 
fied heart; one that has not only forgiveness of actual 
sins, but is cleansed, even from inbred sin. The root of 
bitterness is purged. When the Lord cleanses the heart 
from all impurities He fills it with the Holy Ghost. This 
is the kind of a heart Jesus refers to in Matt. 5 : 8 when 
He says, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall 
see God." 

When our heart is made pure and we are filled with 
the Holy Spirit, we can live victorious Christian lives, 
we can do better service for our Master, and are ready 
for heaven at any time. 

As we see from these illustrations, the experience of 
holiness is only for converted people. In reading your 
Bible you have, no doubt, noticed that the disciples were 
sanctified and filled with the Holy Ghost on the day of 
Pentecost. We have noticed also that they were con- 
verted men before this. Jesus sent them out to preach 
the gospel, and I am sure He would not commission un- 
converted men to preach. Jesus also said that their names 
were written in heaven; and again, "They are not of the 
world, even as I am not of the world." They had power 
to heal the sick, and even to cast out devils, so we see 
plainly that they were converted. 

After all this, in John 17 : 17, the night before Jesus 
was crucified, He prayed to the Father to sanctify them. 
Then, just before His ascension, He told His disciples 
to tarry, or to wait, in Jerusalem until they had received 
this power, until they were sanctified, baptized with the 
Holy Spirit. This they did; they went into an upper 
room and there they prayed and waited until after ten 
days the Lord sanctified them. Then they began to preach 



52 LIVING FOR JESUS 

with power and three thousand were converted in one day. 

If the disciples, who had been with Jesus several years, 
needed sanctificatiaon after they were converted, surely we 
need it also. 

Some people will say that this was only for the dis- 
ciples, but God's Word teaches that it is for all. After 
Jesus had prayed the Father, in John 17 : 17, to sanctify 
the disciples, He continues in the 20th verse to pray for 
all of us, when He says, "Neither pray I for these alone, 
but for them also which shall believe on me through their 
word." In the second chapter of the Acts we read where 
Peter, shortly after he had been sanctified, tells the peo- 
ple they should repent of their sins and get saved and they 
could get the gift of the Holy Ghost, for, he said, in verse 
29, "The promise is unto you, and to your children, and 
to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God 
shall call." Here we see that all God's children have the 
promise that they may be sanctified. 

Again, others seem to think that this experience is not 
for this life, but that we are made holy when we come to 
die, but from God's Word we learn that it is for this life. 
Luke 1 : 73-75, "The oath that he sware unto our father 
Abraham, that he would grant unto us, that we being 
delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve 
him without fear, in righteousness and holiness all the 
days of our life." Not after we die, but all the days of 
our life. Again, 1 Thess. 5 : 23, 24, we read, "The very 
God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your 
whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless unto 
the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." God wants to 
sanctify and keep us sanctified all the time until Jesus 
comes. 

We can not allow more space for this subject in this 
little book. There are many good books written along 



SANCTIFICATION 53 

this line which will be helpful to those who desire this 
experience. Above all, the best book that has ever been 
written on holiness, is the Holy Bible. My dear reader, 
read it prayerfully and the Lord will lead you into the 
blessed experience, without which we can not see God. 

We give a few scripture references stating why we 
need holiness, and we close this chapter. We pray God 
that these few words on this great subject may be a help 
to many young hearts and lead them on to where they 
will let the Lord sanctify them wholly. 

We need holiness : 

1', Because God commands it. "Be ye holy; for I am 
holy" (1 Peter 1:16). 

2. Because it is God^s will. "For this is the will of 
God, even your sanctification" (1 Thess. 4:3). 

3. Because Jesus died to sanctify us. "Wherefore 
Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own 
blood, suffered without the gate" (Heb. 13:12). "Christ 
also loved the church, and gave himself for it, that he 
might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water 
by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious 
church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but 
that it should be holy and without blemish" Eph. 5 : 25, 27). 

4. Because Jesus prayed for our sanctification. "Sanc- 
tify them through thy truth" (John 17 : 17. Also John 
17:20.) 

5. Because we are called unto holiness. "For God 
hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness" 
(1 Thess. 4:7). 

6. Because what He has promised He will also do. 
"The very God of peace sanctify you wholly. . . . Faith- 
ful is he that calleth you, who also will do it" (1 Thess. 
5:23, 24). 



54 LIVING FOR JESUS 

7. Because the Holy Ghost is given to accomplish it. 
"Being sanctified by the Holy Ghost" (Bom. 15:16). 

8. Because without it we can not see God. "Follow 
peace with all men, and holiness without which no man 
shall see the Lord" (Heb. 12: 14). 

9. Because if we obtain it we shall see God. "Blessed 
are the pure in heart for they shall see God" (Matt. 5:8). 



CHAPTER VIII 

SUFFERING FOR JESUS 

IS" ONE of the preceding chapters we told our readers 
that conversion is the beginning of true happiness. 

This is true, but it does not mean that those who 
follow Jesus are never called to suffer for His sake. God's 
Word says, "All they that will live godly in Christ Jesus 
shall suffer persecution." 

Many of God's prophets of old suffered much because 
they were true to Him. The disciples of Jesus suffered 
for His sake. Many were cast into prison and beaten 
and many of them put to death. A great number of God's 
children have been burned at the stake; but the Heavenly 
Father always gave them grace to bear it. Jesus told His 
followers, "Blessed are ye when men shall revile and perse- 
cute you and shall say all manner of evil against you 
falsely, for my sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad, for 
great is your reward in heaven." 

Much of this suffering was permitted that God's ene- 
mies might see how He sustains and helps His own dear 
children in the hour of suffering and death, and as others 
beheld their faith in God and their triumph in death, 
they too, became followers of the Lord, and thus God was 
glorified. 

In this day also there is much sin and many wicked 
people in the world, and even children are sometimes 
persecuted and must suffer because they follow Jesus. 
Even some parents do not want their children to be Chris- 
tians and will punish them severely if they read their 
Bible and pray. Some will even turn them away form 

55 



56 LIVING FOR JESUS 

their home, but here again the Lord has given a promise, 
for He said, "When mother and father forsake you, then 
the Lord will take you up." 

One night, coming home from missionary work in the 
slums of St Louis, about twelve o'clock Saturday night, 
one of the workers saw a little Jewish boy, about eight 
years old, all dirty and ragged, walking the street. She 
talked to him and told him about Jesus. He was glad to 
hear about a Savior who loved children. His father and 
mother did not have much love for him, but let him walk 
the streets of the wicked city all night. 

The missionary gave him a Bible. He was so glad, 
for now he could read more about this Friend who loved 
him. The next Saturday at midnight he was there on the 
street corner again, waiting for the Christian people. 
He was happy and said, "I read my Bible every day." 
He was asked, "Do your parents object to your reading 
the Bible?" "Oh, yes," he said, "if they knew I was 
reading it they would kill me, but I hide it in the wood- 
house, way back under a woodpile, and every day I sneak 
away and get it out and read it." 

Mr. Gough relates the following about a little boy who 
suffered much for Christ's sake, and who would rather die 
than sin against his Savior who had so wonderfully saved 
him. 

"A friend of mine, seeking for objects of charity, got 
into the upper room of a tenement house. It was vacant. 
He saw a ladder pushed through the ceiling. Thinking 
that perhaps some poor creature had crept up there, he 
climbed the ladder, drew himself up through the hole, 
and found himself under the rafters. It was very dark 
for there was no window. Soon he saw a heap of chips 
and shavings, and on them a little boy about ten years 
old. 



SUFFERING FOR JESUS 57 

" 'Boy, what are you doing here ?' 

" 'Hush ! do n't tell anybody — please sir.' 

" 'What are you doing here?' 

" 'Do n't tell anybody, sir, I am hiding.' 

"'What are you hiding from?' 

" 'Do n't tell anybody, if you please, sir.' 

" 'Where is your mother V 

" 'Mother is dead.' 

" 'Where is your father V 

'"Hush, don't tell him! Don't tell him! But look 
here!' He turned himself on his face and through the 
rags of his jacket and shirt my friend saw the boy's flesh 
was bruised and the skin broken. 

" 'Why, my boy, who beat you like that V 

'"Father did, sir.' 

" 'What did your father beat you like that for V 

" 'Father got drunk and beat me as I would n't steal.' 

" 'Did you ever steal V 

" 'Yes, sir. I was a street thief once.' 

" 'And why do n't you steal any more ?' 

" 'Please, sir, I went to the mission school, and they 
told me there of God, and of heaven, and of Jesus; and 
they taught me, "Thou shalt not steal"; and I'll never 
steal again, if father kills me for it. But please, sir, 
do n't tell him.' 

" 'My boy, you must not stay here ; you will die. Now 
you wait patiently here for a little time. I'm going away 
to see a lady. We will get a better place for you than 
this.' 

"'Thank you, sir; but please sir, would you like to 
hear me sing a little hymn V 

"Bruised, battered, forlorn, friendless, motherless, hiding 
away from an angry father, he had a little hymn to sing. 

" 'Yes, I will hear you sing your little hymn.' 



58 LIVING FOR JESUS 

"He raised himself on his elbow and sang : 

" ' Gentle Jesus, meek and mild 
Look upon a little child; 
Suffer me to come to Thee. 
Fain would I to Thee be brought, 
Gracious Lord, forbid it not; 
In the kingdom of Thy grace, 
Give a little child a place. 

" 'That's the little hymn, sir. Good-by.' 

"The gentleman went away, came back in less than 
two hours, and climbed the ladder. There were the chips, 
and there was the little boy, with one hand by his side, 
and the other tucked in his bosom, underneath the little 
ragged shirt — dead. 

"This little hero was willing to die for Christ, but he 
refused to commit sin and grieve his Master. We wish 
that there were more like him." 

Some who read these pages may be laughed at by play- 
mates, friends may turn away from them, parents may 
reject them and turn them from home because they love 
Jesus; but all who are true will have joy and peace in 
their hearts in this life and home in heaven for ever with 
the Lord. 



CHAPTEE IX 

HOW CHILDREN MAY LEAD SINNERS 
TO CHRIST 

THE LOED has a great work to do, and He is always 
looking for people whom He can send out to labor 
for Him. When Jesus was here on earth He said, 
"The harvest is white but the laborers are few." His 
heart was just aching because there were so many people 
who were not Christians. It is the same way today. 
Many people do not love Jesus. Some have never heard 
that a Savior died for them. Many others have heard 
the story of the Cross, and yet are not serving Him, and 
need to be invited to come to Jesus again and again. 

Children sometimes think because they can not preach 
or sing, or go as missionaries to foreign fields, that there 
is nothing for them to do; that they will have to wait 
till they are grown before they can help Jesus in this 
great work, but this is a mistake. The Lord will let all 
children help Him if they are only willing. 

Perhaps some of my little readers will say, "How could 
I work for Jesus? I am so young." I will try and tell 
you how you can. 

Do not forget that the very first thing must be to give 
your own heart to Him, if you have not yet done this. 
Then you may at once begin to work for Him. 

One way to help Jesus win souls is to let your Chris- 
tian light shine wherever you go. The way to do this is 
to pray much and ask Him to help you to live very close 
to Him all the time; in your home, at school, or wherever 
you may be, with your companions and playmates, that 



60 LIVING FOR JESUS 

they may see by your godly life every day that you love 
Jesus and that He helps you to keep from sin, and makes 
you happy. When tempted to do what you know to be 
wrong, always stand firm, and say No! This often con- 
victs others of sin and gives them a desire to serve Jesus. 

A pastor, whom we helped in a meeting in Illinois, told 
us how the Lord helped him to lead a boy to Christ. He 
was converted at the age of twelve, and was the only 
Christian in school. The other children made it very hard 
for him and persecuted him, but the Lord kept him from 
talking back or getting angry. 

One day one of the larger boys, with a number of 
others, planned to give him a hard whipping. The big 
boy doubled his fist to strike him, but suddenly drew back, 
saying, "Shall I hit you, who have never done us any 
harm, but are always kind and never get angry ? Oh, God ! 
have mercy on me," and right there, in front of the school- 
house, in the street, he knelt down and gave his heart 
to God. 

This boy will receive his reward for leading a soul to 
Christ, not by preaching from the pulpit, or by doing 
missionary work in heathen lands, but by preaching to 
his schoolmates, in that he let Jesus have control of his 
life, and was good and kind to them when they persecuted 
him. 

You also can work for Jesus by inviting people to 
Sunday school, or to the church services, and this may 
become the means of their conversion. A little girl in 
this way led a young man to Christ, who later was used 
by the Lord in a great work for the salvation of souls. 
The young man had left his home to work in a distant 
city. One Sunday morning he was lonesome and home- 
sick, and went out for a walk. A bright little girl met 
him on the street and invited him to Sunday school. He 



LEAD SINNERS TO CHRIST 61 

went, and was soon converted. He became a very suc- 
cessful preacher and editor in the Methodist church, and 
led hundreds of souls to Christ. This little girl was a 
little worker for Jesus. Had she not asked this lonely 
young man to Sunday school, he might have never been 
saved, and perhaps many of those he led to Christ might 
have also missed heaven. 

If my reader really has a desire to work for Jesus and 
wants to win souls, it is necessary to pray much, and the 
Lord will open the way by which hearts will be touched 
and led to Jesus. He tells us, "What things soever ye 
desire when ye pray, believe that ye receive them and ye 
shall have them." If your desire is to save souls, He will 
show you how. I will now tell you how a number of 
children worked for Jesus and were successful in winning 
souls, and perhaps it will help you to do the same. 

A little girl, named Rachel, was attending one of our 
meetings a number of years ago. The preaching of the 
gospel touched her heart and she soon made her way to 
the altar of prayer, and got saved. 

With a happy face she testified to what the Lord had 
done for her. At once she got interested in her father's 
salvation and asked that we pray for him. 

One night she succeeded in bringing him to church. 
This made her very happy. When the invitation was 
given for sinners to get saved, she stepped to his side, 
and with tears in her eyes, threw her arms around his 
neck, saying, "Papa, do come and let Jesus save you." 
He came at once and knelt at the altar; Rachel kneeling 
by his side. He prayed very earnestly for some time, 
then arose, and with a glow on his face, declared the Lord 
had forgiven his sins. 

Rachel did not arise for a few moments, but with her 
shining face turned upward, and one hand raised heaven- 



62 LIVING FOR JESUS 

ward, she repeated these words over and over, "Thank 
you, Lord, I knew yon would do it. I knew you would 
save papa. Thank you, Lord." The Lord helped Rachel 
to lead her father to Jeus only a few days after she 
found peace to her own soul. No wonder she was happy. 

Brother Haney, a Methodist preacher from Illinois, 
tells of another little girl who led her parents to Jesus. 
He says that in one of his meetings there was a little girl, 
an only child, whose parents were not religious, and did 
not want her to come to church. Her name was Addie, 
and she was ten years old. She was very determined 
to go to the afternoon meetings, and she did, and was glo- 
riously converted to God. 

Her experience was so glorious that her parents thought 
she was losing her mind. They tried to make her stay 
at home, but she prayed and cried and shouted so much 
that it made their sinful hearts feel bad and they let her 
go to church. 

One afternoon the Lord blessed her in prayer for her 
father and mother so much, and then with great gladness 
she said, "Papa and mamma will be converted tonight. 
Jesus told me so." They were not in the habit of going 
to church, but she got them to go that night and tried to 
lead them to the front, but they slipped into a back seat. 
She walked up to the front and said to Brother Haney, 
"That lady and gentleman who came in with me are my 
mamma and papa, and the Lord is going to save them 
tonight." 

After the sermon, when the altar call was given for 
sinners to come and seek the Lord, she marched down the 
aisle like a little soldier and led them to the altar and 
they were both converted. How happy Addie was. It 
was in answer to her prayer that these two souls, her 
own mother and father, were saved. 



LEAD SINNERS TO CHRIST 63 

This same minister relates how another little girl led 
her mother to Jesus. In a meeting he was conducting in 
Illinois, after dismissing one night, and while standing 
on the platform, he saw a lady whirl out of her seat into 
the aisle, and with a toss of her head said, "You will not 
get me to that altar!" 

She had but one child, a girl who was a natural singer. 
She had been attending the meetings and had learned 
the chorus : 

"Come to Jesus, come to Jesus, 
Come to Jesus just now; 
He will save you, He will save you, 
He will save you, just now." 

The next day, while her mamma was sewing, she was 
in her little rocking chair, singing this chorus and rocking 
with all her might. Stopping suddenly, she looked into 
her mother's face saying, "Mamma, ain't you going to come 
to Jesus ?" Her mother said, "Yes, darling, mamma is com- 
ing to Jesus some time." "Some time! Oh, mamma! 
that won't do. You must come to Him now." 

That night, this woman who said so proudly the night 
before, "You will not get me to the altar," was glad to go 
to the altar of prayer and was converted. The Lord 
used her own little daughter to show her that she needed 
salvation. 

Yes, the Lord will use children in many ways in this 
great work of saving souls. "The harvest is white and the 
laborers are few." 



CHAPTER X 
JESUS ANSWERS PRAYER 

OUR Heavenly Father gives many promises in His 
Word, telling us that He will hear and answer 
prayer. We give a few of them. "Ask and ye 
shall receive." "If ye abide in me and my words abide in 
you, ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done unto 
you." "Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name that will I 
do." "If ye shall ask anything in my name I will do it." 
From these and many other scriptures we learn that we 
may expect to have our prayers answered. 

The Lord says that He is our Father and we are His 
children, and that He dearly loves us. Would it not seem 
strange, my dear reader, if your mother and father, who 
say they love you, would never answer when you call them, 
and if they would never give you anything you ask for. 
No loving parents would treat their children that way. 
Then we may be sure that our Heavenly Father will hear 
our prayers, and will answer, and give what we ask for, 
if it is for our good and to His glory. 

A little boy was asked, "Does God always answer 
your prayers?" He said, "Yes, He always answers, but 
sometimes He says 'Yes,' and sometimes 'No,' but He 
always answers me." 

This little boy was right. There are times that it 
would not be wise if the Lord would give what His 
children ask, for it would not be for their good, no more 
than when a little girl of three years asks for a sharp 
knife or a loaded gun to play with. Her mother would 
answer "No," for the child would hurt herself if what 

64 



JESUS ANSWERS PRAYER 65 

she asked for was given her; but our reader may be 
assured that if we ask for anything that is good for us 
and that will glorify God, He will surely answer, and 
give what we desire of Him. 

First of all, when we ask Him to forgive our sins we 
may be sure He will answer "Yes," for He tells us so in 
His Word. "If we confess our sins he is faithful and 
just to forgive," but we may also ask for other things 
that we are in need of. 

When I lived in Illinois, I used to visit a family by 
the name of Smith, where there was a little boy named 
Frank. His parents were Christians. His papa was a 
preacher. His sister and I worked together in the evan- 
gelistic work; so I got quite well acquainted with Frank. 
I give the following as his sister related it to me : 

When Frank was in his fourth year he was sick a 
great deal, and had no appetite for any solid food, but 
was very fond of milk. They were poor and could not 
afford to keep a cow nor to buy milk. One day little 
Frank felt very badly, and could think of nothing he 
wished to eat but milk. He said to his mamma, "Oh, I 
wish papa would buy a cow." His mother said, "I do too, 
but he has no money." Frank said, "Mamma, perhaps 
the Lord will give us a cow if we ask Him." She said, 
"Perhaps He will." 

Frank ran into the next room; his mother followed 
him and looked in at the door to see what he would do. 
She saw him as he got down on his knees by the bedside, 
folded his hands, closed his eyes, and prayed, "O Lord, 
give us a cow ; do, do, do. O Lord, give us a cow ; do, do, 
do. For Jesus' sake. Amen." His mother rushed back 
to the kitchen and he did not know she had heard him 
pray. 



66 LIVING FOR JESUS 

Frank came running to his mother with his face all 
aglow and shining eyes, said, "Oh, mamma! we're going 
to get a cow." She said, "How do you know, Frank?" 
"Because I asked the Lord and He's going to give us 
one." 

At this time Frank's father was conducting a revival 
meeting at a country church, nine miles from home. The 
meeting closed on Sunday night. He made some pastoral 
calls on Monday, and toward evening started for home, 
but a storm came up and he was compelled to turn in at 
a farmhouse. The people were strangers to him, but very 
friendly. They had supper, and read and talked for some 
time. The man asked him about his family and what his 
occupation was. 

The next morning, while he was dressing, the man 
came into his room and talked awhile, and, to his surprise, 
handed him five dollars. 

After breakfast he went to the barn, where the farmer 
and his hired men were milking. He had eight or ten 
fine Jersey cows. 

The man said to Mr. Smith, "Well, I suppose you 
have a cow, if you have a family of three children." He 
said, "No, we have no cow." This was all that was said. 

Mr. Smith hitched his horses to the buggy, got in, and 
started to leave, when the man said, "Wait a minute," 
and handed him two twenty dollar bills, besides the five 
he had given him before. This made forty-five dollars in 
all. He said, "Take that and buy a cow for your children." 
Mr. Smith was very much astonished to receive a gift 
of forty-five dollars from a man who was a stranger to 
him. 

He started for home, and after he drove about a mile 
he met a man whom he asked whether he knew the farmer 
where he stayed all night, and whether he was a liberal 



JESUS ANSWERS PRAYER 67 

man and in the habit of helping God's cause along. The 
man said, "Yes, I know him, and he is very stingy, and 
will do nothing for the church." 

Mr. Smith was more surprised than ever. He did not 
know of the prayer his little boy was sending up to the 
throne, many miles away, for the Lord to send them a 
cow. When he got home he told his wife about the money 
the man had given him. She told him about Frank's 
prayer, they wept and shouted for joy because the Lord 
had heard Frank's prayer. 

This little boy asked and believed that the Lord would 
give him what he asked for and Jesus did not disappoint 
him. Now, what the Lord will do for one of His children 
He will do for others if they will only ask Him. 

In the same year Frank had trouble with his ears. 
He was getting very deaf. His parents took him to a 
specialist, who told them that he could not help him any; 
that in time he would be almost, if not altogether, deaf. 

When they got home Frank asked his mother what the 
doctor said. She tried to get his mind on some other 
subject, for she did not like to tell her little boy what the 
doctor said, but he would not be put off and insisted on 
an answer, saying, "Mamma, did the doctor say I would 
get well or not." His mamma, with a sad heart, answered, 
"My dear boy, the doctor said he could not help you." 
"And won't I ever be well, so I can hear?" "I'm afraid 
not, Frank," she said, "the doctor said you might get 
much worse." 

Big tears trickled down Frank's cheeks as he said, 
"Mamma, can't the Lord heal me if this doctor can't help 
me?" 

"Yes, Frank, I am sure the Lord can help you." 

"Well, let's go and pray." 

His mother believed in divine healing, but thought 



68 LIVING FOR JESUS 

she'd rather have her husband there, and he was not at 
home just then, and she said, "We will pray for the Lord 
to heal you when papa conies home." 

"Oh, mamm, let's pray now." 

"All right, Frank, as soon as I get these dishes washed." 

"No, mamma, let's pray right now." 

She took her hands out of the dishwater; called the 
two older children, went into the sitting room, and the 
all knelt down to pray. Frank looked up and said, "Where 
is the oil, mamma, to anoint me?" She arose and got 
some oil and anointed him. Then she prayed for him, 
and had only prayed a little while, when he jumped to 
his feet, clapping his little hands, shouting the praises 
of God, saying, "Oh, it's done! it's done! The Lord 
has healed my ears; I can hear." His mamma began to 
shout and praise God with him. His sister was crying for 
joy; but his older brother, who did not have much faith, 
thought he would test it, and said in a very low voice, 
"Frank." "Oh, yes, Vivian, I can hear. It's done, it's 
done." And it was done, praise the Lord, for he never had 
any more trouble with his ears, but could hear as well 
as any one. 

I have heard his sister tell this over and over in our 
meetings, to encourage others to ask great things from 
the Lord. 

Following we give three little prayers that, perhaps, 
our little readers would like to learn : 

MORNING PRAYER 

"Now I wake and see the light; 
'T is God who kept me through the night ; 
To Him I lift my voice and pray, 
That He may keep me through the day. 
For Jesus sake. Amen." 



JESUS ANSWERS PRAYER 
EVENING PRAYER 

"Now I lay me down to sleep, 
I pray the Lord my soul to keep; 

If I should die before I wake, 
I pray the Lord my soul to take. 
All this I ask for Jesus sake. Amen." 

PRAYER AT MEALS 

'We thank Thee, Lord, for food and friends, 
For all the good Thy mercy sends. 
In Jesus' name. Amen." 



CHAPTER XI 

HOW TO RESIST TEMPTATION 

WE HAVE told you in Chapter I how Satan came 
to the garden of Eden to tempt Adam and Eve. 
They were pure and holy and because he hated 
God he planned their fall. As he tempted them, so he 
comes to every one who gets saved and tries to get them 
to commit sin; but the Lord has promised to help and 
give strength by His grace to overcome. 

We will see what the Bible says about this. We read, 
"I will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are 
able, but will with the temptation make a way of escape." 
Here we have God's Holy Word telling us that every time 
we are tempted He has already a way by which we may 
escape, and we need not sin. 

There is, however, something for the Christian to do. 
God's Word says, "Resist the devil and he will flee from 
you." Whether tempted through people or some other 
way, it is always the Devil trying to get us to do wrong. 

Satan sometimes uses bad boys and girls to tempt 
those who are tying to live for God. These temptations 
will come in different ways, perhaps to tell lies, or be 
disobedient to parents, or use bad language, or to do 
wrong along some other line. The way to resist is to 
stand firm and not waver, but have courage to say "No," 
even though they laugh and ridicule. 

When my youngest brother was about six or seven 
years old, he, with his mother and father, was invited to 
spend the day at the home of some of their acquaintance. 
A large number of people were present. Upon their 

70 



HOW TO RESIST TEMPTATION 71 

arrival they saw at once that they had beer, and old and 
young were drinking. When they came home brother 
said, "Just think of it, they had beer there, and all the 
boys were drinking. I was the only one who would not 
drink, and they made fun of me and called me a Chris- 
tian, but I did n't care. Then they thought they would 
force me to drink. Several of them tried to hold me 
while others got a glass of beer and tried to pour it in 
my mouth, but I kicked and jerked and pulled, until I 
got away from them. I won't drink that stuff if they do 
make fun of me." 

The Devil tried to use these boys to make this little 
boy do what he knew was wrong, but he did what the 
Bible says, he resisted them and was delivered. 

At another time, when he was about ten or twelve 
years old, he, with another boy who had no bad habits, 
went to a picnic about five miles from home. They had 
only been gone a little while when they returned. They 
were asked why they came home so soon; he answered, 
"Oh, they were selling beer and cigars on the grounds, 
and I do not want to stay at a place like that." 

Had he stayed there all day he, might have finally 
yielded to some temptation, as many, many boys do, but 
the way for him to resist was to leave a crowd like that 
and come home where he would not be tempted along that 
line. Now he is a young man and never drank a glass 
of beer, never has used tobacco in any form, never swore 
or used bad language, is a Christian, and has bright 
prospects of heaven. It certainly paid this boy to resist 
temptation when he was a boy, even though he was 
laughed at and made fun of by other children. 

Some time ago I read of a little boy who knew just 
how to resist temptation. His name was Paul. He was 
going to spend the day with his aunt who lived in the 



72 LIVING FOR JESUS 

next town. He had never traveled on the train alone, 
for he was only six years old, but it was not very far, 
and he had gone with his mother so often that he felt 
sure he could go alone. 

His mother took him into the train, put him in a seat 
by the window, kissed him, and told him to be a good boy ; 
then she took a slip of paper from her handbag and 
slipped it into his blouse pocket, saying, "Now, Paul, do 
not take this paper out of your pocket, for fear you might 
lose it, until you get to Aunt Anna's, then give it to 
her. 

Just across the aisle in the car was a young man who 
heard all that was said. After the train started and the 
little boy was left alone, he said, "Little boy, what is that 
you have in your pocket?" Paul did not answer, but 
turned his head and looked out of the window. The 
young man said, "Just pull it out and let me see a little 
bit of it, and you can put it right back." Still Paul did 
not answer. Then his tempter said, "If you will just 
pull it out far enough to let me see one little corner of it, 
I will give you these," and he held out to Paul a number 
of fine yellow peaches. 

Paul was very fond of peaches, and just to look at 
them made his mouth water, but he remembered his 
mother's words, and perhaps thought of the words of 
Jesus, "Resist the devil." He slipped down from his seat 
and walked back in the car, sat down, and looked out 
of the window. 

The big folks in the car saw and heard it all, and many 
of them had tears in their eyes. A sweet-faced lady sat 
down by Paul, and with her arm around him, whispered, 
"God bless you, my boy, you know how to resist and over- 
come temptation. May the Lord ever help you to bravely 
fight against sin, and flee from it as you did this morning." 



HOW TO RESIST TEMPTATION 73 

In closing this chapter we will give our readers a 
beautiful poem, written by Phoebe Gary. I hope you will 
commit it to memory, and that in time of temptation it 
will make you strong and help you to resist and overcome. 

OUR HEROES 

"Here's a hand to the boy who has courage 

To do what he knows to be right; 
When he falls in the way of temptation 

He has a hard battle to fight. 
Who strives against self and his comrades 

Will find a most powerful foe. 
All honor to him if he conquers; 

A cheer to the boy who says 'No!' 

"There's many a battle fought daily 

The world knows nothing about; 
There's many a brave little soldier 

Whose strength puts a legion to rout. 
And he who fights sin single-handed 

Is more of a hero, I say, 
Than he who leads soldiers to battle, 

And conquers by arms in the fray. 

"Be steadfast, my boy, when you are tempted 
To do what you know to be right; 
Stand firm by the colors of manhood 
And you will o'ercome in the fight. 
"The right," be your battle-cry ever 
In waging the warfare of life, 
And God, who knows who are heroes, 

Will give you the strength for the strife." 



CHAPTEE XII 

god's EYES ARE EVER ON US 

"Thou, God, see'st me" 

ACEBTAIN man took his little boy with him one 
night to his neighbor's field to steal a load of corn 
from his well-filled corncrib. Before he began to 
load he said, "Wait a minute, son, until I see if any one 
is looking." He stepped away from the wagon and looked 
north, south, east, and west. Coming back, he said, "It's 
all right, no one is watching." His little boy said, "But, 
papa, you forgot to look up." The man answered, "That 
is so, my boy, if no one else sees, God does," and climbed 
in the wagon and drove home without his neighbor's corn. 
This little boy preached a great sermon to his father. He 
remembered that God's eyes are ever on us. 

When boys and girls are tempted to do wrong they 
should remember the words of the Lord, "Thou God seest 
me." Only four little words, yet if remembered, and 
heeded at the right time, may help them to gain a victory 
over sin, and since one sin always leads to another, it 
may save them from a whole life of sin. 

There are times when no one else is watching, mother 
and father are not near, playmates and companions are 
not anywhere around, but there is One in heaven whose 
eyes never slumber or sleep. He is always watching, and 
in time of temptation His heart is just yearning for us 
to remember Him and let Him help us to over come. 

When I was a little girl and lived on a farm in Illinois 
with my parents, we used to go out blackberry picking. 
Fine large berries grew wild so plentifully that it was not 

74 



GOD'S EYES ARE EVER ON US 75 

worth while for the farmers to go to the trouble of raising 
them on their farms. At times our whole family would 
go for a day and come home at night with from twenty- 
five to thirty gallons of fine ripe berries. 

One day, while on such a trip, a lady friend had also 
come to pick. The people who owned a large patch of 
berries were kind, and gave us the privilege to pick all 
we wanted on the west side of a certain fence, but said 
they would like to keep those on the east side for their 
own use. We went to work and soon found plenty 
of fine berries. While the lady above referred to, her 
little boy, and I were picking, she saw some fine, large 
berries just out of her reach across the fence. She said, 
"Sonnie, you come crawl through the fence and get these 
berries, I can't quite reach them." He answered, as he 
kept right on picking, "Thou shalt not steal." 

We were in the timber, among shrubs and briers, and 
there was no danger of the owner of the berries seeing us, 
or even missing them, but this little boy remembered, 
"Thou God seest me," and it helped, not only him to 
overcome temptation, but was a good lesson for his 
mother, who did it thoughtlessly, for she was a good 
woman. After her boy left us she said to me, "God some- 
times uses children to teach us lessons that we do not 
soon forget." 

"Remember, child, remember, 
That God is in the sky; 
That He looks down on all we do, 
With an ever watchful eye." 



CHAPTEK XIII 

HOW CHILDREN MAY SHOW THEIR 
LOVE TO PARENTS 

CHILDREN owe a great deal to their parents, and 
are never able to repay them for all they sacrifice 
for them. Perhaps it would be well to stop for just 
a few moments and consider what parents do for their 
children. 

First, they take care of them when they are tiny little 
babies and do not know anything, not even their own 
parents, and if they did not take very good care of them 
they could not live. Then, also, most children are sick at 
times, and mother and father will watch over them, some- 
times night and day, that their little ones may have good 
care and get well. 

I have known people in the slums of the city who were 
so poor they did not have enough to eat, but they would 
always give what they had to their children and go 
hungry. 

Parents often suffer much in taking care of their 
children. A certain mother, coming home, found her 
house on fire ; she was safe, but her baby was inside. The 
men who had gathered all said it would be impossible to 
enter the house to save the baby, but the mother rushed 
right through the flames, wrapped her baby in a blanket, 
and brought it out. She almost lost her own life and her 
face and hands were burned so badly that even after it was 
healed they were all scarred. People who did not know 
what had happened thought her very ugly, but she suffered 

76 



CHILDREN MAY SHOW THEIR LOVE 77 

all this to save her baby. What this mother did for her 
baby, most parents would do for their children. 

Had you gone with me to the insane asylum in St. 
Louis a few years ago you could have seen a woman about 
thirty-five years of age, walking back and forth on one of 
those long porches, carrying a large doll. Had you asked 
the nurse why she was doing that, she would have told 
you the following story: 

This mother had a sweet little baby boy whom she loved 
dearly. One day he took sick and soon the angels took 
him to heaven. The mother did not know how to cast 
her burden on the Lord, and her heart was so crushed 
with sorrow, and she felt so lonely without her baby, that 
she lost her reason. One day she saw this large doll and 
thought it was her baby. She took it, and for several 
years has taken care of it, talking to it and saying, "My 
own precious baby, mamma loves you." And she walks 
the floor with it nearly all the time. 

Now if parents love their children so much that they 
will suffer, and sometimes even die for them, then, surely 
the children should love them very much in return. 

There are different ways in which children may express 
their love to the parents. It makes parents' hearts re- 
joice when they come to them quite often and tell them 
how they love them. Many children forget this, and think, 
as one little boy said, "Oh well, mamma and papa know I 
love them, so it is no use to be telling them about it." 

If my little reader has ever thought this, let me ask, 
would you like for your mother and father to say, "My 
little boys and girls know I love them, and so I do not 
need to tell them about it," and they would never take 
you on their lap, and kiss you, and tell you how they loved 
you? I am sure you would not like it very well. Then, 
remember that your parents are just as much pleased if 



78 LIVING FOR JESUS 

you tell them you love them, as you are when they tell you. 

Do not run off to school without kissing them good-by. 
A loving good-by kiss will gladden mother's heart all day 
while you are gone and she is working and toiling to 
get your meals, and patching your clothes. It will make 
father feel good while he is working hard to make money 
to buy food and clothing for you. 

But for children to simply tell their parents in word 
they love them is not enough. They should also tell them 
by their actions. 

One way to do this is by obedience. It is hard for 
parents to believe that their children really love them 
when they tell them with their lips they do, and then are 
disobedient and naughty all day. Jesus said, "Children, 
obey your parents." I am sure it makes Jesus and all 
the angels very sad when children are disobedient, and it 
also saddens the parents hearts. 

Some children get very unhappy if they can not have 
their own way. Our little boy used to feel that way at 
times. One day he studied out how he could have his 
own way and yet be obedient. One morning he said, 
"Mamma, I am going to have my own way all day today." 
I was surprised to hear my little boy talk that way and 
said, "Are you not going to mind mamma and papa 
today?" "Oh, yes," he said, "I am going to make your 
way my way, and then I can have my own way. When 
I want to play outside and you tell me to stay in the 
house, I'll just say, 'I'll stay in the house,' and you see, 
I can have my way." 

It would be well if all my little readers would make 
their parents' will their own will, not simply to have 
their own way, but because the Lord wants children to 
obey their parents, and because this is the way for both 
children and parents to be happy. 



CHILDREN MAY SHOW THEIR LOVE 79 

There is another way in which to show love for father 
and mother, and that is by helping them. There are 
many things boys and girls can do to help their parents, 
if they are willing. 

Some time ago I read about five children who were in 
the dining room, trying to amuse themselves, while their 
mother was lying down with a severe headache. They 
were talking it over how much they loved their mother, 
each one declaring they loved her most. 

Little Nettie studied awhile and said, "I love mamma 
a room full," and began to pick up things and to tidy up 
the dining room. Her brother Harry saw what she meant 
and said, "Hurrah ! I love her a coal bucket full," and took 
the bucket, went to the coal cellar, filled it, and brought it 
in. Anna, who had been sick, and was about to call her 
mother to give her medicine, said, "Well, I guess I love 
mamma a spoon full," and took the medicine herself. 
Wilbert called out, "I am sure I love her and that a whole 
kitchen full," and he rolled up his sleeves and mopped the 
kitchen floor. Baby Dottie said, "I dess baby 'oves 
mamma too, baby 'oves mamma hands and face full." 
And she washed her hands and face nice and clean. 

When mamma got up and saw what had been done, 
do you not suppose she believed every word of it when they 
told her they loved her? She was so happy, she almost 
cried for joy as she kissed each one of them and told 
them how thankful she was that the Lord had given her 
such dear, loving children. 

Oh, yes, children may show their parents in many ways 
that they love them. They should not wait until they are 
grown, but obey and help them while they are young. 



SO LIVING FOR JESUS 



WHICH LOVES BEST 

"I love you, mother," said little John; 
Then left his work, and his cap went on ; 
Then went to the garden, into the swing, 
Left her the water and the wood to bring. 

"I love yon, mother," said rosy Nell, 
I love you better than tongue can tell"; 
Then she frowned and pouted, full half the day, 
Till her mother was glad when she went to play. 

"I love you, mother," said little Fan, 

"Today I'll help you all I can, 
How glad I am that school does n't keep" — 
So she rocked the baby till it fell asleep. 

Then stepping softly, she took the broom, 
Swept the floor, and dusted the room, 
Busy and happy all day was she, 
Helpful as any child could be. 

"I love you, mother," that night they said; 
Three little children going to bed; 
Which, do you think, the mother guessed, 
Of her three children loved her best. 

A WISE CONCLUSION 

"Said Peter Paul Augustus : 'When I am grown a man, 
I'll help my dearest mother, the very best I can. 
I'll wait upon her kindly ; she'll lean upon my arm ; 
I'll lead her very gently, and keep her safe from harm. 



CHILDREN MAY SHOW THEIR LOVE 81 

But when I come to think of it, the time will be so long/ 
Said Peter Paul Augustus, 'before I'm tall and strong, 
I think it would be wiser to be her pride and joy 
By helping her my very best while I'm a little boy.' " 

— Selected. 



CHAPTEE XIV 

THINGS TO BE THANKFUL FOR 

THE Psalmist said, "Bless the Lord, oh, my soul, 
and forget not all his benefits." Truly the Lord is 
good to us. He abundanttly supplies all our needs, 
we shall never be able to thank Him as we should. 

Some children are always thinking and speaking of all 
the disagreeable things they have ever seen or heard, and 
forget about the good things. When it rains they seem to 
forget that the sun ever shone, or that we need rain to 
make things grow. When they feel bad they forget that 
they ever felt good. Thus, when they should be happy and 
thankful to God for all His goodness and love, and for all 
the blessings He sends, they spend their time in finding 
fault with the way He does things. 

We are glad, however, that not all do this way, but 
many are, as a girl I used to know, who said, "When 
things don't go to suit me I am not going to murmur, 
but be thankful things are not worse then what they 
are, for they might be." When she had headache she 
would say, "I am thankful I haven't the toothache also, 
for that would be much worse." When she stubbed her 
toes she said, "I am glad I stubbed my toes ; I might have 
bumped my nose." When she was sick she was glad she 
was not an invalid, like the girl she knew, who had never 
been able to walk. When it rained and she could not 
play outdoors, she said, "I am glad we have a house to 
play in, and I thank the Lord for the rain, for it will 

82 



THINGS TO BE THANKFUL FOR 83 

make the pretty flowers grow." This made her feel happy 
all the time. 

Now, let us think of some things all should be thankful 
for. 

First of all, we should be thankful for Jesus our 
Savior, who left His beautiful home in heaven and came 
as a little baby in the manger, lived in this world for 
thirty-three years, and then suffered and died on the cross 
that we might be saved and live in heaven with Him 
for ever. "He became poor that through his poverty we 
might be made rich." 

Then, we should be thankful for the Bible, which tells 
us the story of Jesus, and what we must do to be saved. 
Many thousands of heathen have no Bible, and thus have 
never heard of the Savior. Many, many die without even 
hearing the sweet name of Jesus. Many do not know 
anything about a Sunday school, have never seen a 
preacher or church. How dark their lives must be! 

Then, we should be thankful if we have been saved, 
and know our sins are forgiven. For many people go 
through life without salvation, and when they come to 
die they must go alone into darkness with no Savior to 
lean on or to trust in. 

Again, children should not forget to thank God if 
they have Christian parents. Oh, how much this means 
for boys and girls! 

A little Jewish girl, with beautiful black eyes, whose 
name was Pansy, attended the services at our mission. 
One night I saw her weeping bitterly and asked her what 
was the matter. Amidst sobs, she said, "Oh, I want God !" 
but her parents, being Jews, did not want her to learn 
about Jesus, and the poor little girl went away heart- 
broken. 



84 LIVING FOR JESUS 

I was conducting a children's meeting at a camp- 
meeting and a large number of children came to the altar 
to get saved. Among them were two sweet little girls, 
sisters. They were praying very earnestly, when their 
father came rushing into the tent and dragged them away 
from the altar, saying, "You have no business here." He 
did not want them to become Christians. Kneeling right 
by their side was a beautiful little girl, with blue eyes and 
golden curls, asking Jesus to save her. In a few moments 
she arose and gave one of the sweetest and most simple 
and clear testimonies I have ever heard. Oh, children, if 
you have parents who help instead of hinder you to 
become Christians and live for God, be sure and thank 
the Lord for it. 

Then, also, if you have comfortable homes you must 
thank God. I used to visit many poor people in my city 
missionary work, and would often find a large family 
living in one room in a dark cellar, and, what made it 
still worse, no love there. The father would often spend 
much of his time and money in the saloon, and would 
come home drunk. How sad these little faces were, with 
no loving Christian parents. 

I often stopped at a certain home where the father 
was a drunkard, and the mother washed for people to 
get a little money for food and clothing. They had one 
child, a sweet little girl, two years old. 

One day the Lord sent His angel to take the little 
girl home to heaven. The mother was heart-broken. She 
took what money she had and bought a little white dress 
and slippers, and little white casket. When the darling 
was all dressed in white they laid her in the casket, 
then the father came home drunk, and just to make his 
wife feel bad, for he did not love her, he knelt down by 



THINGS TO BE THANKFUL FOR 85 

the casket which held the body of his own little girl, and 
cursed God, and his wife and baby. 

Oh, yes, children, if you have Jesus, the Bible, Chris- 
tian parents, and a home where there is love, you have 
much to be thankful for. If you have these things you 
are rich. It does not take money to make us rich. There 
are many things that are worth much more than silver 
and gold. 

I read in a Sunday school paper about a boy who 
thought he was poor and got dissatisfied. One day he came 
to his father and the following conversation took place : 

"Oh, papa, I do wish we were rich like Harry's papa, 
he can have all the icecream and candy and all kinds of 
playthings he wants." 

"Robert, what would you take for your right arm? 
Would you take one thousand dollars for it?" 

"Why, papa ! and be a cripple ? No, sir, I would n't 
sell my arm." 

"Would you sell your left arm for that?" 

"I should say not." 

"Well, then look here; would you sell your eyes for 
a thousand apiece?" 

"And be blind ? I would n't sell them for ten thousand 
apiece." 

"Would you sell your legs for a thousand apiece?" 

"No, of course not, papa ; if I did I could n't run and 
jump and play." 

"Well, my boy, is seems to me you are quite rich." 

"Why, papa, I haven't thought of it in that way, I 
declare, I am rich." And Robert ran off to play, happy 
and thankful that he had riches that money can not buy. 



; LIVING FOR JESUS 

'When you look at others, with their lands and gold, 
Think that Christ has promised you, His wealth untold ; 
Count your many blessings, money can not buy, 
Your reward in heaven and your home on high." 



CHAPTER XV 

EVIL HABITS 

IN" SPEAKING of evil habits we usually think of such 
as, drinking, smoking, swearing, gambling, etc., but 
there are many other things that should be included; 
such as, lying, disobedience, and many others. 

Sometimes children get in the habit of what they call 
"story telling," but the Bible calls it by a different name; 
the Bible calls it "telling lies." We even hear people speak 
of white lies, but Jesus knows of no white lies; to Him 
they all look very black; for in His sight they are sin. 
We read in Rev. 21 : 8, "All liars have their part in the 
lake of fire and brimstone." 

We also read in Acts 5, about a man and his wife who 
told a lie, and were punished by immediate death. When 
children tell lies it usually leads to many other sins. It 
grieves Jesus very much when children are not truthful, 
and He has promised to help them and save them from 
this sin. 

Others will get in the habit of disobedience. When 
mother says, "Alice, come here at once," Alice will say, 
"All right, mother," and continue her play. This is not 
obedience, for mother said, "come at once." But we will 
not dwell on these things now, for we have spoken of them 
in another chapter, but we will consider in brief the other 
evil habits mentioned at the beginning of the chapter. 

There is the drink habit, that is, to drink intoxicating 
liquors. I read the following statement a few days ago : 
"Alcohol was discovered and named many years ago by a 

87 



88 LIVING FOR JESUS 

wise Arabian. He called it al gliole, which means in our 
language, 'evil spirits.' He said, 'Those who drink it 
become possessed by the Evil Spirit, or the Devil.' " How 
true this is. It makes people do many things they would 
not otherwise do, if not thus possessed. 

Persons who drink, first of all, commit sin against 
God. He tells us not even to look on the wine when it 
looks so nice and red in the glass. Again He says, "They 
that tarry long at the wine have woe," meaning sorrow 
and heartache. Prov. 23:29-35. 

They also commit sin against themselves, for it weak- 
ens their bodies, and they can never be the strong and 
useful men and women God intended they should be, 
had they never touched it. Not only does it affect their 
own lives, but is a great wrong to their families and 
fellow man. 

I did not know how much suffering was caused by 
drink until I left my country home and took up work for 
Jesus among the poor people in the city. There I found 
that most of the suffering, sorrow, heartaches, and broken 
homes are caused by drink. Where I entered homes where 
people were really suffering I found, almost without ex- 
ception, that it was because of drink. Sometimes I would 
find that the father, and sometimes both father and mother 
were drunkards. 

Then, also, we must remember, what is worst of all, 
the sad end of the drunkard. The Bible teaches that no 
drunkard shall enter the kingdom of God. Men who have 
studied these things tell us that over one hundred thous- 
and men and boys die as drunkards every year. Think 
how large a crowd of people one thousand are, and then 
imagine over a hundred times that many, and all these 
die in one year as drunkards, without hope and without 
God. 



EVIL HABITS 89 

Kemeinber, also, my dear young reader, that there was 
a time when each one of these took the first drink. Had 
they never taken the first cup not one of them would 
have become drunkards. I saw one day eight small boys 
roll empty beer kegs in front of a saloon in order that 
the few drops left in them might run out on the walk, 
and they would lay down and drink it from the dirty, 
filthy sidewalk. Oh, how my heart was pained for these 
boys, who were in this way begining the awful drink 
habit. What an awful life is before them, and to what an 
end they will, no doubt, come. 

Some parents keep liquor in the home and thus chil- 
dren will be led to take their first drink and begin this 
sinful habit at their own parents' table. This is very sad. 

Boys and girls, you who read these pages, will you not 
promise God right now that you will never take your first 
drink, and that if the Lord lets you live you will by your 
influence and your vote help to drive this monster from 
our land? 

The drink habit, however, is not the only great evil 
that is blasting the lives of many, but the tobacco habit 
is fully as bad. Many boys begin to smoke cigarettes when 
very young. I have seen them smoke at the age of four 
and five. Here are words of a wise man, that every child 
will do well to remember : "The boy that smokes cigarettes 
need not worry about his future, for he has none." How 
true this is ! Many begin this habit young and it weakens 
the body and they fill a premature grave. When they get 
sick they have so much of the cigarette poison in their sys- 
tem that the medicine the doctor prescribes takes no 
effect and they die, when they should grow up to be 
healthy, strong, and useful citizens. 

It also affects the intellect, or the powers they use for 
thinking. Boys who use cigarettes are, as a rule, behind 



90 LIVING FOR JESUS 

in their studies. Our little boy tells us of two little boys 
in his class, older than the rest of the children, who cause 
the teacher much trouble and seldom have their lessons, 
who smoke cigarettes. 

Now, all boys look forward to a useful life when they 
grow up. They would like to fill some responsible position, 
but that is impossible for cigarette smokers. First of all, 
their minds do not develop as they should, so that they 
can not get the right kind of an education or training, 
and then, many doors are closed for them. Listen to the 
words of Mr. Harriman, who was chairman of the board 
of directors of the Union Pacific and Southern railroads. 
He said, "Cigarette smokers are unsafe; I would just as 
soon get railroad men from the insane asylum, as to em- 
ploy cigarette smokers." This man of high position knew 
what this habit would do for boys. Many responsible 
places like these are closed for cigarette smokers. 

Not only is cigarette smoking harmful, but the use of 
tobacco in any form. Tobacco contains a poison that is 
injurious to all who use it. It is also a very filthy, dirty 
habit, and much disease is spread because of the use of it. 

I have heard ladies say, when asked to go for a day's 
outing, that they would rather miss the outing than to 
take a trip on the car or on the street and have men puff 
tobacco smoke in their faces. 

Boys, think of a poor, weary mother who lives in a 
few dark, dingy rooms in a tenement house, working hard 
and taking care of a large family day after day, robbed 
of a day's rest and recreation because men and boys, to 
satisfy their unholy appetites insist on poisoning the air 
with filthy tobacco smoke. 

A number of years ago, when living in the city, our 
parsonage was built very close to the sidewalk, as many 
houses in the city are. I remember very well, while sitting 



EVIL HABITS 91 

in our sitting room at the window, to get some fresh air 
in the hot summer months, white men and negroes would 
pass and puff the tobacco smoke right at our open window, 
and fill God's pure air that was so invigorating, with the 
smoke that came out of their filthy mouths, and compel 
us to inhale it. 

Boys, ask God to help you to be gentlemen and never 
touch filthy tobacco. 

Again, those who use tobacco in any form are wasting 
money that should be spent for something useful, and not 
for that which does not benefit any one but is injurious. 

A few years ago I was well acquainted with a wealthy 
family in St. Louis. They had a son named Charley. 1 
was in their home a great deal, but do not remember ever 
seeing the father without a cigar in his mouth only while 
eating. He would smoke until he began to eat, lay his 
cigar by his plate, and as soon as he had taken the last 
bite of food, pick up his cigar, and again smoke while 
the rest of the family finished their meal. 

One day I said to the little boy, who was eight years 
old, "Charley, are you going to smoke when you become a 
man?" I wish my readers could have seen the expression 
on his face as he said, "Do. you think I am a fool?" I did 
not quite understand what he meant and said, "Your 
father smokes, and I am wondering if you are expecting 
to when you get big?" He said, "Indeed, I won't. Papa 
smokes fifteen ten-cent cigars a day ; that makes one dollar 
and fifty cents a day. He smokes at night after he goes 
to bed and in the morning before he gets up. When I 
see that, do you suppose I am foolish enough to follow his 
example? No, ma'am, I'll never do it. I'll spend my 
money for something better." A wise conclusion, indeed, 
for a boy of eight, and the son of a tobacco fiend. 



92 LIVING FOR JESUS 

It is true that all do not spend as much money for 
tobacco as this man did, but if it is only ten cents a 
week it is wasting money, and the Lord will require of 
them an account some day how they spend their money, 
which might have been given to some good cause such as 
missions, and would help to tell some poor heathen the 
story of Jesus. 

There is also the habit or sin of swearing. Children 
hear it from others and, sad to say, sometimes from their 
own parents, and begin very young. In a town in Ne- 
braska, where we lived, we learned to know a little boy, 
four years of age. His parents were not careful about 
his training and he was out on the street most of the 
time, and soon learned to swear. 

Wicked men heard him and were amused by it, and 
would give him pennies and nickels, paying him to swear 
for their amusement. How sad! The Lord says, "God 
will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain." 

At this writing my husband and I are being enter- 
tained in a Christian home. Just at this time I hear the 
young mother sing: 

"I believe in the old-time religion, 
For it saves from all sin here below." 

The father is reading his Bible as he is waiting for his 
dinner, but this was not always so. They used to swear, 
and the father drank. They have only been converted 
two years. 

The father told us, with tears in his eyes, as he laid 
his hand on a bright little, black-eyed, curly headed son, 
not five years old, "Two years ago this little boy would 
swear at the least provocation, and he learned it by hear- 
ing it from his own papa's lips; but thank God, now he 
quotes Scripture and sings about Jesus." 






EVIL HABITS 93 

Swearing is an awful sin. Every time any one swears 
he breaks one of God's commandments. 

Some girls may say that this chapter is only for boys, 
but this is not true. Sad as it may seem, many girls, as 
well as boys, are guilty of the sins of drinking, smoking, 
and swearing. 

We used to go into saloons and winerooms to distrib- 
ute religious tracts, and there we would see boys and girls, 
men and women, sitting at tables, drinking beer and wine, 
and smoking cigarettes, and using vile language. 

One day, while sitting in the mission hall, I looked 
across the street and saw a woman, about sixty years of 
age, intoxicated. The policeman was trying to arrest 
her, she resisted, and he, with his heavy club, struck her 
on the head, and bleeding, she fell to the sidewalk. He 
picked her up and threw her in the wagon and took her 
to jail. She had been a habitual drunkard for years. 

About half a block from our mission door, on the 
second floor, where I often went to try to labor for Jesus, 
lived six women in one room, no carpet on the floor, no 
chairs, no furniture of any kind except one bed. They 
would go out and beg money and then carry their buckets 
to the saloon for beer. This seemed to be all they cared 
for. When I spoke to them about Jesus they would not 
listen to me. 

Girls are not safe unless they not only leave these 
things alone, but absolutely refuse to keep the company 
of any young man who uses liquor or tobacco, or swears. 
Many a girl who has kept herself free from these things 
has joined hands and hearts for life with a man who was 
addicted to one or all of these habits, and as a result her 
life has been one of misery, woe, and heartache. 

Will not all the boys and girls who read these lines 



94 LIVING FOR JESUS 

commit to memory the following triple pledge and, by 
the Lord's help, keep it all their lives? 

THE TRIPLE PLEDGE 

STRONG DRINK 

We will not buy, we will not make, 
We will not use, we will not take, 
Wine, cider, beer, rum, whiskey, gin, 
Because they lead mankind to sin. 

TOBACCO 

We will not smoke the smoker's pets, 
Those useless things called cigarettes; 
We will not chew, we will not snuff, 
Nor waste our time cigars to puff. 

PROFANITY 

We will not curse, though many dare 

Open their lips to curse and swear; 

Our words shall be both pure and plain ; 

We will not take God's name in vain. — Selected. 



CHAPTER XVI 

DANGER OF NEGLECTING SALVATION 

IT IS always dangerous to put off salvation and it is of 
great importance to accept Christ early in life. Chil- 
dren's hearts are tender, they have not been hardened 
and marred by sin as those who have continued for many 
years in sin. 

People who get saved in childhood or youth have 
greater advantages than those who put it off until later. 
They have their whole lives before them to spend in the 
service of the Lord. If they walk in obedience their 
lives will develop and they will be able to build up strong 
Christian characters; but if they wait until thirty, forty, 
or fifty years of their life is spent in sin, those years are 
lost, and even the rest of their lives are often marred and 
hampered because of the past. Not only are those years 
lost to themselves, but during this time they might have 
been able to lead many souls to Christ. 

Our Heavenly Father's beautiful plan is that His chil- 
dren be coworkers with Him in saving the world, and one 
of the greatest joys of heaven, next to seeing our dear 
Savior's face, will be if we have been the means of lead- 
ing souls to Him. 

A young man, in a town not far from our home, took 
sick and desired to be saved. He asked for prayer and his 
sister to sing for him, which she did. He was beauti- 
fully saved. When he saw he must die he said, "The Lord 
has been merciful and saved me, but all of my life has 
been spent in sin, and I will have no trophies to lay at 

95 



96 LIVING FOR JESUS 

m|y dear Savior's feet, and there will be no stars in my 
crown." 

Not only do we miss the joy of leading souls to Christ, 
but the one who neglects salvation is continually in dan- 
ger of losing his own soul. The Lord says, "Now is the 
accepted time, now is the day of salvation." He gave us 
no promise for tomorrow. If we put off salvation until 
tomorrow it may be for ever too late. 

A young man came to the service at the mission in 
St Louis. The superintendent felt impressed to go to 
him and ask him to give himself to the Lord that night; 
but he said, as so many do, "Not tonight." He went to 
him for the second and for the third time, pleading with 
him to yield. At last the young man reached out his 
hand, saying, "No, not tonight, but I will give you my 
hand on it that I will be at the altar tomorrow night and 
get saved." The service closed, and this young man had 
not walked a block away from the mission when he was 
called into eternity. For him tomorrow night never came. 
He put off salvation just one night too long. 

How different with another young man of whom Rev. 
J. H. Flower, superintendent of the Lighthouse Mission 
in St. Louis, tells us, who felt he ought to get saved but 
did not come forward, but after going to his room he 
said to his roommate who was a Christian, "I wish I had 
gone forward and had gotten saved tonight. I feel it is 
dangerous to put it off." His roommate said, "You can 
get saved right here." They knelt down and prayed, and 
at one o'clock he rejoiced in sins forgiven. He went to 
work the next morning in the switch yards. He was 
struck by an engine and seriously injured. Some one 
rushed to his side ,and he lived just long enough to say, 
"I am so glad I settled it last night. Tell Brother 
Flower he will at least have one star in his crown," and 



DANGER OF NEGLECTING SALVATION 97 

his blood-washed soul took its flight to his Savior, who 
had only about five hours before washed his sins away. 
How well that he did not say, "Tomorrow night." 

We do not like to dwell on so many sad things and 
refer to so many who put off salvation and lost their souls, 
but we want to impress our young reader how dangerous 
it is to neglect his soul's salvation. 

Mother Hawks, eighty-seven years old, at Minden, 
Nebraska, told us the following incident that came under 
her own observation. She said that when she was a young 
woman she lived in Abraham Lincoln's home town in 
Illinois. She, with a crowd of other young people, used 
to go sleigh-riding with Mr. Lincoln. 

One of these young men was a preacher's son, but 
unsaved. His father tried to lead him to the Lord, but his 
answer always was, "Not now." He became seriously sick. 
One evening they noticed that he kept his eyes on the sun 
as it was going down beyond the western horizon. As 
his father came into the room he said, "Father, light a 
candle and set it on the table by my bedside where I can 
see it." After getting the candle the father said, "My son, 
why do you ask for this candle?" "Father," he said, "I 
have seen the sun for the last time ; when it rises in the 
morning I will be where no ray of light ever comes. I 
want that candle before my eyes as long as I can see, for 
where I am going in a short time I will not even get the 
rays of the smallest candle." His father tried to point 
him to Jesus, but he said, "No, father, I have put off 
salvation too long, and there is no hope for me, but I 
want you to promise that you will preach my funeral ser- 
mon and warn my companions who have put off salvation 
like I have done, not to follow my example any longer, 
but to give their hearts to the Lord." 

My dear boys and girls who read this book, if you are 



98 LIVING FOR JESUS 

not saved, why not, right now, lay your book down and 
give yourself to Jesus and let Him forgive your sins. He 
is a Savior of love and loves you. He died to save you. 
His Word says He is not willing that any should be 
lost, but that all should be saved. 

Many put it off so long that their hearts are so har- 
dened in sin and when they finally want to get saved it 
is hard for them to get their eyes away from their sins 
and to trust in Jesus. 

In one of our meetings a man, eighty-four years old, 
came to the afternoon meeting. He was crippled and only 
able to walk by the assistance of a crutch. As soon as 
the altar call was given he came forward and tried to get 
on his knees. We said, "Grandpa, you can not kneel, the 
Lord can save you right there in your seat," but he said, 
"Oh, no, I want to get down before the Lord." It took 
him quite awhile, but he finally got down on his knees. 

The Christian people gathered around and prayed for 
him. He tried to pray, but would only utter a few words, 
then wring his hands and say, "Oh, my sins, my sins." 
We gave him God's promises and encouraged him to trust 
the Lord. But when he tried to pray he would again 
wail, "Oh, my sins, my sins. I have spent eighty-four 
years in sin and now I have no hope." 

Our hearts were bleeding and we labored and prayed 
with him a long time, but his sins were like mountains 
before him and he failed to get his eyes off his sins long 
enough to see Jesus. Finally he went home without sal- 
vation and without hope. In youth it would not have 
been so hard for him to trust the Lord to save him, but 
he was now old and hardened in sin. Jesus is even then 
able to save if we have faith, but when hearts are calloused 
by sin we are apt to never trust Him for salvation. 

A young lady, a very dear friend of mine, tells the 



DANGER OF NEGLECTING SALVATION 99 

following incident that happened about thirty miles from 
our home in Illinois, and in a church where I attended 
services many times : 

"I was attending revival services where many were 
getting saved and sanctified. The church was crowded 
every night so that many could not find seating room. 

"One night, during the altar call, I walked down the 
aisle, trying to lead souls to the altar to seek the Lord. 
Among others, I spoke to a young man of my acquaintance 
who was standing in the aisle, asking him to give his 
heart to the Lord. He shook his head. I saw the Lord 
was dealing with him, and plead with him not to put off 
salvation. He finally said, 'No, not tonight, but I promise 
you I will come and get saved tomorrow night.' ; 

"I left him and spoke to some near him. One of 
the other Christian workers took him by the hand, asking 
him whether he would not like to become a Christian. He 
answered, 'No, sir, I never expect to be a Christian.' I 
heard his words and said to him, 'What is that young man ? 
did you not tell me less than five minutes ago that you 
would get saved tomorrow night?' 'I did,' he said, 'and 
when I said tomorrow night my doom was sealed. I 
know I shall never be saved.' The meeting closed. After 
he reached home that night with his two sisters, he sat 
down at the piano, played and sang the following: 

'Oh sinner, remember, though fair be life's day, 

There's only one step to the tomb; 
Thy life like a vapor, will soon pass away, 
Then cometh eternity's gloom. 

'To be lost in the night, in eternity's night; 

To sink in despair and in woe; 
But such is thy doom, if thou turn from the light, 

God's mercy refusing to know.' 



100 LIVING FOR JESUS 

After finishing- this hymn he fell backward from the piano 
stool, dead and lost, because he refused to let the Lord 
save him when the Holy Spirit was in mercy striving 
with him." 

There is very great danger in neglecting salvation. 
Every day that it is put off we are running an awful risk, 
for death may come and find us unprepared. When we 
consider that eternity is before us, and our soul is going 
to spend it either with God, and the angels, and all the 
blood-washed host in heaven, or in a place that was pre- 
pared for the Devil and his angels, where there is weep- 
ing and wailing and gnashing of teeth, surely it is all 
important that we set all else aside and first seek the 
kingdom of God. 

My dear young reader, let me entreat you as one who 
loves you, and is very much interested in your soul, not 
to neglect it, but to do as a young man of our acquaint- 
ance, who was attending revival services. His teacher was 
not interested in the meetings and gave unusually long 
lessons. He told her he could not see how he could get 
such long lessons and attend the meetings. She said, "I 
do not compel you to go to church, but I insist that you 
get your lessons." His answer was, "Well, teacher, 1 
have thought it all over and have come to this conclusion, 
since I must spend much longer time in eternity than in 
this life, I am going to prepare for eternity first, and then 
get all the education I can." This was a wise conclusion. 
The Lord blessed the young man and he is now saved and 
sanctified, has preached some, and is in college preparing 
for the ministry. 

Do not let the Enemy deceive you, when he whispers 
to you and tells you that some other time it will be easier 



DANGER OF NEGLECTING SALVATION 101 

or better. . This is not true, but in childhood is the time 
to begin to serve the Lord. 

SOME OTHER DAY 

"The Spirit came to an innocent child, 

And plead in the tenderest tone: 
'Dear little one, let me come into thy heart, 

And make it for ever my own.' 

'Sweet Spirit,' he cried, 'please go away; 

For childhood is only for fun and play; 
Some other day, some other day; 

When I am older, I'll bid Thee stay.' 

"The Spirit came back to the tall, fair youth, 

With a tender and loving plea; 
'The harvest is ready, there's work to be done, 

Arise, God is calling for thee.' 
O Spirit,' he cried, 'leave me I pray, 

The pleasures of earth hold me in sway; 
Some other day, some other day; 

Then, Holy Spirit, I'll bid Thee to stay.' 

"The Spirit plead thus with the toilworn man; 

'Make haste while God's grace shall last. 
The silver is tinging thy locks of brown, 

Thy years are now slipping by fast,' 
'O Spirit,' he cried, 'I should obey, 

But I am too busy and tired to pray; 
Some other day, some other day; 

When I have time I will bid Thee stay.' 

"The old man now leans on his trembling staff, 
With a quavering, bitter sigh: 



102 LIVING FOR JESUS 

'I've wasted a lifetime in sin,' he cried, 

'And now I am going to die; 
The Spirit, long slighted, has flown away; 

No hope, no Grod, I can not pray; 
No other day, no other day; 

The Holy Spirit has gone to stay.' " 



CHAPTEE XVII 

CHRISTIANS DIE HAPPY 

THE Lord does not want us to get saved simply that 
we may go to heaven when we die, or else He would 
take everybody home at once after they are saved, 
but He wants some of us to live right here in this world 
among sinful people, and where there are temptations on 
every hand, so that through us He may be able to show 
forth His power to save and keep from all sin those who 
put their trust in Him. 

And then, He has a great work to do for Christian 
people. He has seen fit to save, the world, not by sending 
angels down here to preach the gospel, but for His chil- 
dren, Christian men and women, to tell the good news 
of salvation to sinners, and this they would have no oppor- 
tunity to do if they were all taken home to heaven as 
soon as they are saved. 

If we are fully saved, however, and are living true 
Christian lives, we need not fear death, whether we die 
as children, young people, or have come to old age. 

Sometimes the Lord sees fit to call children to Him- 
self. In the last chapter we have told you about a number 
of children and young people who put off salvation and 
thought they would get saved when they got ready, but 
death came and they were called away unexpectedly and 
unprepared. How dark it was when they came to die. 

In this, the last chapter of the book, we will tell you 
of a number who got saved and, with Jesus in their hearts, 
they died happy. We pray that it may encourage our 

103 



104 LIVING FOR JESUS 

readers to live for the Lord, and when they come to die 
they may have an abundant entrance into the heavenly 
city. 

When I began my city missionary work in St. Louis, 
I was told of a family on 22d street, where a young girl, 
about fifteen or sixteen years old, was sick. I called 
there, and found a mother, her son, and this daughter, 
whose name was Katie, living in two small rooms on the 
second floor, the stairway leading up from the back yard. 
They were very poor people. 

The mother lived such a wicked, sinful life that her 
husband had, some time before, left her. Katie, of course, 
under such conditions, did not have much opoprtunity to 
hear about Jesus, and she was a very worldly girl. 

Soon after I, with some other Christian people, vis- 
ited her she gave her young heart to the Lord and He 
spoke peace to her soul. She lingered for awhile, but 
gradually got worse. 

One morning, as her mother entered the room, she said, 
"Mamma, I am going to take a long journey today, and 
I shall never come back, for Jesus is going to call for me 
today. Do n't weep, mamma, I am so happy, I would 
much rather go than stay here." She told her mother 
what to do with her things. Some she wanted her mother 
to keep, others to give to her young friends, for she said, 
"I will not need them any more." 

She was very peaceful and happy the rest of the day. 
In the evening she called her mother and told her to call 
brother, and the few friends who had gathered there, into 
the room. She told them all good-by, pleading with her 
mother and the rest to get ready to meet her in heaven. 
She said, "G-ood-by," laid her head back on the pillow, 
and closed her eyes. They thought she was gone. Her 
mother fell down on her knees by the bedside and screamed, 



CHRISTIANS DIE HAPPY 105 

"Oh, Katie, dear Katie, come back, do n't leave me." 
Katie opened her eyes, looked at her mother, and said, 
"Mamma, why did you call me back? Jesus was right 
here; He was just lifting me up to take me, and I was so 
happy, and now you have called me back to this old 
world. Please do not ask me to stay, and do not call me 
back again. Mamma, you and the rest go into the kitchen 
and shut the door and wait there while Jesus comes and 
takes me home to heaven." 

They left her all alone with her Savior for about 
fifteen minutes. When they returned her body was there 
on the bed, but Katie's pure soul had been carried away 
by the angels to that home where sickness never comes 
and where sin never enters. 

It seems that if at any time in life people would want 
their loved ones near it would be when they come to die, 
but Katie felt the Savior nearer than any earthly friend, 
even her own mother, and she wanted to be alone with 
Him when she crossed over. 

Children, is not this a beautiful way to die? No 
wonder we read in God's Word about a man who said, 
"Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last 
end be like his." 

One day, while visiting from house to house, I as- 
cended a narrow stairway on 20th street, only about two 
blocks from where Katie had lived. I knocked at the first 
door I saw after reaching the top of the stairway. A 
woman came and barely opened the door. I told her that 
I was a city missionary, and spoke to her about her soul's 
salvation, but she did not seem at all pleased that I talked 
to her. 

I saw through the half-open door some one lying in 
bed, and inquired if any one were sick. She told me her 
boy was very sick. I said, "May I come in and talk to 



106 LIVING FOR JESUS 

him for a few moments ?" She answered in a careless way, 
"No, I do not think he cares to see you." My heart began 
to ache for the poor boy, whom I wanted to tell about 
Jesus, and I plead with her to let me step in and say a 
few words to him. She finally yielded and let me in. 

I stepped to his bedside and saw at the first glance 
that he could not live long. He could not speak above a 
whisper, but when I tried to point him to the Savior he 
turned his face to the wall, saying he did not care to hear 
anything like that. I asked whether I might not read 
just one verse out of the Bible. He answered, "I do not 
want it." "Well, I will pray for you," I said, and before 
he had time to answer I got down on my knees and in a 
few words asked the Lord to save him. 

I then left him, for he would not talk to me, and with- 
out an invitation I told him I would come back to see him 
some time, which I did a day or two later. When I en- 
tered the room this time and asked if I might read to 
him, he said, "Yes, I wish you would read from the Bible 
and then pray with me." I did this, and when I took my 
leave he invited me to come back. 

The next time I went to see him I read those beautiful 
words from Rev. 21 to him. It seemed to touch his heart, 
and was just what his sinsick soul was in need of; then 
I knelt by his bedside and prayed very earnestly for him. 
Heaven seemed to draw very near. I felt we were in 
the presence of the Lord. Willie did not say very much, 
he was too weak to talk, but asked me to come back soon. 

I went back, and shall never forget my last visit at 
that sick bed. When I reached the head of the stairs 
he saw me through the half-open door, and I wish, instead 
of trying to describe to you what I saw, that I might 
have taken you in to see Willie and hear his last words, 
for a scene like that can not be told in words. 



CHRISTIANS DIE HAPPY 107 

He raised his thin, white hands as high as he could 
and his face had a heavenly glow that was the result of 
a divine touch. He beckoned for me to come in, clapping 
his hands and saying, over and over, "Oh, I am so happy ! 
Oh, how I thank Jesus! how I praise Him, He has saved 
me." I sat down by his bedside and joined him in prais- 
ing the Lord. He then said, "I am so glad you told me 
about Jesus, when you were here before, and read to me 
about a place that Jesus has gone to prepare, where there 
is no more sickness and sorrow, where I will have no more 
pain, and where He will wipe all the tears from our eyes. 
After you left I asked the Lord to wash all my sins away 
and come into my heart that I might enter into the beau- 
tiful city. And oh, He has answered prayer! My heart 
feels so clean. My sins are all gone. Jesus has taken 
them all away." Then he continued, "I was so cross to 
mamma, I wanted to get well, but now I'll be glad when 
Jesus takes me home to that beautiful place you read to 
me about." 

I remained at his bedside for awhile, but finally had 
to leave him. He was still clapping his hands and prais- 
ing the Lord. Then next time I returned Willie had 
joined the angels and the redeemed in heaven praising 
God. I expect some day to meet him up yonder, where 
we shall see Jesus face to face. 

"My heavenly home is bright and fair, 
Nor pain nor death can enter there; 
It's glittering towers the sun outshine, 
That heavenly mansion shall be mine." 

Tillie, my husband's younger sister, was converted at 
the age of twelve or thirteen. In the winter of 1893 she 
took sick with lagrippe, which settled on her lungs. She 



108 LIVING FOR JESUS 

continued to get worse until January 23, the following 
year, when the Lord took her home. 

The following glorious departure was witnessed and 
related by my husband, who had come home from college 
for the holidays, and, finding her so near the end, re- 
mained with her until she passed away. They had been 
great chums, and he stayed at her bedside almost con- 
tinually. 

"I came home on Christmas eve and found sister 
much worse than I had expected. Soon after greeting 
her I said to her, 'Tillie, how is it with your soul ?" She 
answered, "My experience is not as clear as it should be, 
and I do not know positively whether I am ready to meet 
the Lord or not.' She had been converted, but under the 
burden of affliction the Enemy had taken advantage of 
her weak body and caused her to doubt. 

"I talked to her and encouraged her to look to Jesus 
and to trust Him; and called the rest of the family in, 
and we prayed with her. After some time she fully 
trusted Jesus and said, 'It's all right now. If Jesus calls 
me I am ready to go.' 

"Day after day I sat by her bedside, reading the Bible 
and other good books to her, and praying with her. She 
rapidly got weaker and suffered greatly as the time of her 
departure drew nearer. She could now only speak in a 
low whisper. No one but myself could understand her. 
The last night on earth, January 22d, was one of intense 
suffering and very little rest. I encouraged her to lean 
on the Savior, and trust Him to sustain her in the hour 
of suffering. Upon inquiry, she again assured us that 
she was ready to meet the Lord. Over and over I could 
hear her whisper words of prayer, and breathe the name of 
Jesus. 

"At 5 :30 in the morning she seemed to have a halo of 



CHRISTIANS DIE HAPPY 109 

glory about her, and asked to be laid over on the other side 
of the bed. I saw the end was near and asked if I should 
call the rest of the family. She said, 'Yes, call them.' 
While they were gathering- in I said, 'Tillie, are you ready 
right now to meet the Savior, and go home with Him?' 
She said, 'Yes, and Jesus is coming, and I am going.' 

"After the family had gathered in, she began to speak 
in a clear voice so that all could understand her, and for 
about a half -hour she talked to us. 

"She called each by name, saying, 'Live for Jesus and 
be true to Him, and meet me in heaven.' To my brothers 
in the ministry, and to me, as I was preparing for it, she 
said, 'Oh, preach the gospel and meet me up yonder. 
Father and mother, you are getting old, and will soon 
follow me and we will meet again. Tell Sister Josie I 
see her baby Roy; he is dressed in white. Tell Brother 
Willie I see Celia and their baby and they're all in white.' 
Then, referring to her unsaved friend, she said, 'Tell 
Polly to get saved and meet me in heaven.' 

"Then she said, 'Oh, do n't you hear the angels sing ? 
Do n't you see Jesus ? He is right here in the room. I 
am resting in His arms. Do n't cry for me,' she said, 'but 
be true and meet me in heaven.' Then turning to father, 
she said, 'Father, you pray with me once more.' We all 
knelt by her bedside, and amidst sobs, father poured out 
his heart in prayer to God. 

"Then she said, 'Now sing once more before I go, 
"Safe in the arms of Jesus," ' which we did as well as our 
tears and sobs would permit. She looked at us and said, 
'Do n't weep for me, but be true to the Lord and you will 
soon come too, and we will all meet again.' 

"While we were singing she would repeat, 'Yes, safe 
in His arms. Eest, sweet rest. Peace, sweet peace. 
"There'll be no sorrow there." ' Then she kissed all 



110 LIVING FOR JESUS 

goo'd-by, and telling each to be true to Jesus and meet her 
in heaven, she waved her hand, saying, 'I'm going, 
good-by! good-by!' And Tillie joined the heavenly bloods 
washed throng." 

"Safe in the arms of Jesus, 

Safe on His gentle breast; 
There by His love o'ershaded, 

Sweetly my soul shall rest. 
Hark ! 't is the voice of angels, 

Borne in a song to me. 
Over the fields of glory, 

Over the jasper sea. 

"Safe in the arms of Jesus, 

Safe from sorrow and care; 
Safe from the world's temptations, 

Sin can not harm me there, 
Free from the blight of sorrow, 

Free from my doubts and fears, 
Only a few more moments, 

Then my Savior I'll see." 

My dear young friends, in closing this book let me call 
your attention again to the fact that this world is not our 
home. We can not live here for ever; we are pilgrims 
and strangers here. And if we would leave this world in 
peace, die happy, and make heaven our eternal home we 
must have Jesus with us as we cross the river. In this 
last chapter I have told you of a number of young people 
of our own acquaintance who gave their hearts to the Lord 
and what glorious victory they had when the end came. 
I am sure you agree with me when I say, with Jesus 
we die happy. 



CHRISTIANS DIE HAPPY 111 

Therefore let the Lord fully save you, let Him take all 
sin out of your heart and you need not fear death. Jesus 
has overcome death. 

Repent of your sins. Trust Jesus to save you now. 
Labor for Him while He lets you live and gives you 
strength, and when you come to the end you will be 
happy. Jesus will hold your hand. The angels will carry 
you home. Heaven's gates will swing open wide to let 
your blood-washed spirit enter. God the Father will 
welcome you, and you will rejoice through the ages of 
eternity and will join in praises to God with the blood- 
washed company, that no man' can number and whose 
praises will echo around the throne of God as the sound of 
many waters. 

I close this book with a prayer to God that you, my 
dear reader, may be one of that great number who have 
"washed their robes and made them white in the blood of 
the Lamb." And although we may never see each other's 
face here on earth, that we may in that day clasp glad 
hands in the city where only the pure and holy can enter 
and where sin never comes, and where all the redeemed of 
the Lord meet face to face. Amen. 



Deacidified using the Bookkeeper process. 
Neutralizing agent: Magnesium Oxide 
Treatment Date: Oct. 2005 

PreservationTechnofogies 

A WORLD LEADER IN PAPER PRESERVATION 

1 1 1 Thomson Park Drive 
Cranberry Township, PA 16066 
(724)779-2111 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




m 



1 li 

HI 



man 

iiniiiHnfH 



lii 
ill 



111 

I1U1H 



li 

■ 



iiiiil 

liliiii 

IHF 

IHI 



i 
| 

« 



in 



